The story of education; 18th Century American education

You're Pacific University program today and in the weeks to follow is based upon the story of education published by killed in books in June 1962 co-author with your narrator was Dr. Eugene Moleski an assistant superintendent in charge of teacher recruitment for the New York City Board of Education. By presenting these excerpts from our book The Story of education we are hoping that you our listening audience may be better able to understand the whys and wherefores of our own American schools. Our topic today 18th century American education. As the 18th century opened the colonial educational picture was indeed discouraging. Many New England towns were paying fines rather than establishing Latin schools. Harvard the only college an English speaking America was a tiny ministerial seminary Tauren with dissensions and having a financial struggle to exist. There are a few Latin schools in Virginia and the middle colonies. But practically no incentive to establish others. The front here was

continuously expanding and maintenance of schools then and now was always a difficult problem and sparsely settled areas. However the Church of England had begun to realize its stake in America and in 701 organize the propagation of the gospel to conduct overseas mission worked. Before the outbreak of the revolution that society was maintaining numerous schools mostly elementary and even invaded Puritan New England with its activities. Funds were collected in both England and America for establishing a seminary to train a possible clergyman adventure they came to a successful conclusion in 16 93 with the founding of William and Mary. Teachers were usually appointed to town meetings which meant the qualifications were being passed upon by townspeople churches royal companies Royal governors and even the Bishop of London in the case of the Church of England teachers. Under such circumstances the most important qualification for

teaching was religious orthodoxy. So provision was made by clergymen select men and committee who paid their visits to classrooms primarily to determine if students were learning correctly the fundamental religious beliefs and the rudiments of the three Rs. Tenure depended largely upon religious orthodoxy and good moral character teachers were generally inefficient and some accounts indicate many as being crude and uncouth but they were undoubtedly of as good a moral character as the rest of the population so far as drunkenness profanity legal and financial troubles or crime of violence and sex were concerned. Most teachers were men except the women in them schools and those serving as substitutes in the summer when men were working in the fields or in the south planters wives sometimes carried on instruction as a leisure time hobby. This they did for the children on the plantation then some even conducted schools for slaves.

Early 18th century Europe witnessed the great rationalistic thought movement among the intellectuals which came to be known as the Enlightenment. This had many contradictory aspects but taken as a whole it represented a revolt against traditional authority. In America the Enlightenment served to awake the individual to a new realisation of his potentialities interest in reading developed rapidly showing itself in an increased demand for good literature and especially for current publications. In the earlier days of colonial history the church and state had jealously controlled and censored the printers. But after the middle of the century freedom of speech became firmly entrenched as a principle in American life. With new currents of thought sweeping into America from Europe the Puritan clergy were finding it ever more difficult to maintain a theocratic control in New England. The influx of a wide variety of religious groups into most colonies doomed for

ever the possibility of a single stablished church during the middle decades of the century there was a widespread and then Zelikow arousing of religious emotion a period often called The Great Awakening. Religious leadership gained greatly empowered but this power was held by several of the nominations rather than by a single church. The revival increased not only hysterical emotion but also philanthropy and out to ism either through a broadened sympathy for the unfortunate or through fear of everlasting torments in the world to come. Some of the wealth gained from the flourishing trade was donated to churches schools colleges and philanthropic societies as might be expected because of the source of their support. Many schools stressed religious beliefs almost to the exclusion of all else. New ones created in the fervor of a religious revivalism tended to allow churches to maintain a firm hold

on education even though churches continue to set up schools the eighteenth century signalize the development of a more liberal conception of education. The curriculum became less narrow and religious interests not so dominant. People living in the older settlements enjoyed security from attacks by Indians. Inspired by improvement in their economic status they developed a new attitude of life turning naturally to the ideals of education and then being fostered by the leisure class in contemporary England. Schooling they felt represented the road to becoming a gentleman and a scholar with the classics of the chief element in the cultural programme designed for that purpose. To meet these new demands many schools emphasise gracious manners elegant speech and familiarity with the best of ancient authors while not entirely replacing religious instruction. This training for the formal social life of the time was definitely a

step in that direction. About this same time a popular demand was growing for schools to take over the functions of vocational training which heretofore had been almost exclusively the province of the apprenticeship system in training centers in the north and east. The fact that Latin schools were usually conducted by masters whose scholarship had been confined to the classics intensified the demand for practical vocational training in larger communities along the Atlantic seaboard there began appearing semi vocational private English schools in 709 a Boston schoolmaster offered arithmetic astronomy writing and the use of mathematical instruments bookkeeping was taught in New York City as early as seventeen hundred thirty one. And soon thereafter instruction was being offered in such modern languages as French Italian Portuguese Spanish. Subjects intended largely for those planning careers in foreign trade.

Toward the middle of the century even the Latin schools began to include one or more of the practical subjects. Thus a new motive that a vocational utility began to appear alongside colleagues preparation and formal cultured middle class fathers who previously had provided schooling and college straining for sounds ambitious to enter the ministry were now seeking a practical education to help their other son who's in trade or business. This created difficult administrative problems especially when the school had only one or two teachers as was usual in colonial times. There sometimes were two or even three courses being taught in the same building. The Latin School was having growing pains. And the 1750 is a new institution the Academie appeared offering a range of studies designed to serve a variety of purposes including college preparation. Benjamin Franklin and seven hundred forty nine published his proposals for the establishment of an academy in

Philadelphia which opened two years later. He outlined a course of study to include beside the classics modern languages English grammar rhetoric literature history natural sciences. His announced purpose was to produce a practical well behaved and well informed man of affairs. The difficulty of presenting an orderly arrangement of these various subjects was met by organizing them into three schools Latin English and mathematical. A student was given his choice of the three courses even though the elective system was employed from a very early date many earlier academies copied this grouping of subjects in parallel courses. Toward the end of the century there appeared many new academies along the Atlantic seaboard including some for girls. Usually they were private institutions with a course of study being determined by both local aspirations and previous training of the Masters. This resulted in an uneven development. Some academies were about little more than primary

schools while others prepared for college. While education increasingly became more a local and a church matter and politically the colonies progressed near the revolution the idea of state control began gaining headway. All legislatures had passed laws concerning education. But outside of New England these had not been very effective. New York and Pennsylvania for example had each tried to establish a system of public schools. These efforts were blocked by an influx of varied religious that its determined operate its own denominational schools. However interest was beginning to rise especially after independence had been gained. Thomas Jefferson was the outstanding spokesman for State control of education in America. In 1779 he introduced in the beginnings legislature a comprehensive plan for reorganization of the state's institutions.

Included was a proposal for a system a free universal education in which elementary schools were to be provided throughout with Genya. Secondary schools at state expense for the more intelligent use and the most promising of these were to be sent to analyze and reorganize College of William and Mary which in effect would become a state university. The legislature failed to approve Jefferson's plan largely because of opposition by religious interests. And by friends of William and Mary. Jefferson's great contribution was his clear statement of the idea of free universal education a go almost achieved during the following century. As soon as independence had been secured the country was flooded with pamphlets essays articles all setting forth theories about educational control in The New Republic. George Washington was intensely interested in the National University as a means a unifying the nation and he proposed to Congress

that one be established to help subsidize the project he willed the government some shares of valuable stocks. In fact the first four presidents favored the founding of a national university and at one time or another committees of both houses of Congress reported favorably on it. This issue however went into eclipse during the slavery controversy and was brought forth again after the Civil War by the newly formed National Education Association. And most important step toward building state school systems was made while the country was still operating under the Articles of Confederation. Two ordinances were passed covering disposition of the vast public lands in the West. Claims to which the various states had surrendered to the federal government. The ordinance of 1785 provided that the land should be surveyed into square plots 6 miles on a side. Be known as townships. Each of these was to be further

subdivided into 36 sections or squares one mile on a side. Income from the sales the sixteenth section located in the center of each township was to be used for common schools when the land was sold. The Ordinance of 1787 reconfirmed this land policy and set forth the governmental principles to be followed including establishment of common schools. When the Northwest Territory was settled. These two ordinances marked the establishment of a new principle of federal aid to education. They represented the eighteenth century greatest legacy to free public education in the centuries to follow. Throughout the eighteenth century formal education continued largely a matter of trial in the urban ideas from Europe remains important but not to be forgotten. Front pier life served to develop in the Americans a much greater sense of initiate eave and ingenuity

as we look back at it now. Leaders such as Jefferson and Franklin foretold was remarkable accuracy. What was to be developed in the 19th century.