Higher Arithmetic

This paper investigates the historical context, internal content, and educational significance of Higher Arithmetic, a 1919 mathematics text by David Eugene Smith and George Wentworth, which has been insufficiently studied. Through historical and content analysis, this study reveals the authors’ intention to provide a review and extension of knowledge in a modern context of post-World War I industrial United States, intended for both students and pre-service teachers who need thorough teacher preparedness. Although Higher Arithmetic may not be well- recognized today, its progressive intentions for teacher training and the modernization of material remain goals that are as important today as in Smith and Wentworth’s time.