BULLETIN OF THE GEOLOGICAL SOCIETtY OF AMERICA 

 Vol. 31, pp. 233-246 March si, 1920 



EARTH SCIENCES AS THE BACKGROUND OF HISTORY ^ 



PRESIDENTIAL ADDRESS BY JOHX C. MERRIAM 



{Delivered before the Society December 29, 1919) 



CONTENTS 



Page 



Introduction 233 



Concept of history 234 



I'urpose of paper 235 



Contribution of the sciences to history 235 



Tlie geologist's role of interpreter 245 



Introductiox 



The present day of great concepts is witnessing expansion of our vision 

 so as to include in each personal relation the wider contacts of community, 

 state, and race. We attempt with shifting view point to visualize the 

 •complicated political, economic, and psychologic factors determining 

 attraction and repulsion of the major human groups. Most of us now 

 consider national politics in terms of their international significance, and 

 see great problems of the people projected against the l)ackground of 

 interlocking world relations. It is clear that this enlarged vision must 

 for the future be the normal view. Unless by some political cataclysm 

 civilization breaks down completely, we shall retain our close connection 

 with other nations, and cannot return to the kind of isolation ])ossible in 

 the a.tre before space was narrowed by electricity and steam, and ex- 

 tensive international trade pointed the way to more efficient use of the 

 world's resources. 



With the widening of our mental vision, space relation is not the onlv 

 clement to change. We see needed readjustment of national boundaries 

 and regrouping of peoples ])roiight about by reason of conditions ante- 

 cedent to present time by long or short periods. More clearly than ever 

 before is it necessary for us to view world affairs, and in tliem our own 

 connections, by the perspective of space plus time. It may be tliat hy 

 reason of selfish political and economic motives we find here and thcie 



* Manuscript received by the Secretary of the Society .January 24. 11>_M). 



(233) 



