Overview
St. Gregory’s offers separate courses of historical studies during the 9th and 10th grades: American and World History respectively. These studies are incorporated within the Literature courses and the Integrated Humanities Program following a natural order from ancient to modern times. The focus of both classes is guided by the two-fold thesis that God in His providence has guided the course of history for the salvation of souls and that individual men can by their actions and words affect the course of history. As much as possible the courses are taught in narrative manner trying to capture the drama in the stories of great individuals and great events. Students are expected to know the data of history (names, places, dates, etc.), but such data is not to be presented in abstraction from its context of those stories. Thus, students begin to develop a historical sense: a real and profound understanding of men and events, together with the recognition of progress and decay in human culture.
Freshmen Class
The Freshmen study the history of North America and particularly the United States. The course begins with the story of Columbus’ discovery of America, Cortez’s conquest of Mexico and the struggle between the English and the French for the control of North America. From there the focus shifts to an understanding of American history, the Revolution, the writing of the Constitution, and westward expansion. A special emphasis is given to understanding the issues, characters, and battles of the Civil War. This class culminates with a trip to the battlefield at Gettysburg. The class proceeds by the use of biographical and anecdotal material attempting to comprehend the events and issues by coming to know and appreciating the lives of the eminent men involved, e.g. Columbus, Cortez, St. Isaac Jogues, Wolfe, Washington, Hamilton, Jefferson, Jackson, Lincoln, Lee, Grant, etc.
Sophomore Class
The title of the Sophomore history course is World History. Proceeding in a manner similar to Freshman year, the class begins with Greek history and introduces the great Greek leaders and philosophers and, through them, gains insight of the cultural treasure the Greeks handed on to the Church and the world. The course then traces the history of Rome from its modest beginnings to its height of power to its demise, keeping in mind how God made use of this human creation for His divine purpose. In the second semester the material closely outlines the rise of the Church by special attention to those individuals who cooperated with God’s grace to build and expand Christendom. A special emphasis is given certain saints and heroic men and the impact on the course of history. St. Benedict and his Rule receive special attention for their influence on history and on the community life within the Academy. The class culminates in a trip to the Benedictine foundation in Clear Creek, Oklahoma.
