158 Revieivs of Books of the states, as for example in Pennsylvania, should have received further attention, for they explained the waning of Federalism. Still, the book itself is so sanely written that it seems ungrateful to call atten- tion to what are very small defects. WORTHINGTON ChAUNCEY FoRD. The American Nation: A History. Edited by Albert Bushnell Hart. Volume 12. The Jcffersonian System, 1801-1811. By Edward Channing, Professor of History, Harvard University. Volume 13. The Rise of American Nationality, 1811-1819. By Kendric Charles Babcock. President of the University of Arizona. (New York and London: Harper and Brothers. 1906. Pp. xii, 299; xvi, 339.) The two volumes under review are numbered 12 and 13, respectively, in the series of histories edited by Professor A. B. Hart under the title. The American Nation. Professor Channing's book covers the period from the inauguration of Jefferson to the outbreak of the War of 1812. He correctly holds that the earlier years of Madison's administration are to be regarded as a continuation of the Jcffersonian period. With the declaration of war on June 18, 1812, the "Jcffersonian system was at an end : a new epoch in the history of the American nation was begun." This new epoch forms the period treated by President Babcock, which extends from the outbreak of the war to the complete nationalization of the Republican party, i. e., from 1812 to 1819, although for purposes of introduction and conclusion the narrative is somewhat extended beyond these dates. The defects and advantages inherent in books written as portions of a serial publication need no enumeration here, although they are illustrated in the volumes before us. Suffice it to say that the authors have ably seconded the editor in reducing these defects to a minimum. The chief defect arising from the serial nature of the two volumes con- sists in a repetition of subject-matter already presented in an earlier number. That is, it is a defect from the standpoint of the reader who regards the books as volumes in a continued history, but a decided merit when each volume is considered as an independent monograph on the period it covers. Neither author gives more of the material contained in an earlier volume than is necessary for a clear understanding of the subject under discussion by one who has not read the preceding volume. Henry Adams's invaluable work covers all but the last two years of the period from 1801 to 1819, and each author freely uses the work and amply acknowledges his obligation to Mr. Adams. Both, however, preserve independence of judgment and do not hesitate to maintain con- clusions at variance with those of Henry Adams. The authors, while in general following him, show a knowledge and use of the more important printed sources and evince skill and excellent judgment in handling them.
