FOREWORD. CONTENTS INTRODUCTION.. I. THE AMERICAN COLONISTS AND OLD WORLD BELIEFS ABOUT When did the American colonists first think about schools?. Did every child go to school in the early days?__ Why couldn't everyone go to school?. What was the dame school?_ What kinds of books did colonial children have?. How did the colonial children write their lessons? What about the schoolmaster?___ How were the earliest schools supported?__ Why did the schools seem so religious?__ When did free schools come into existence?. Page V VI 1 1 1 3 3 3 5 7 8 8 9 9 What towns were first to have public schools?_ Where did the poor children go to school before there were public schools? Who were the teachers of the older children in the eighteenth century?_ How did many of the colleges and universities get started in early 14 What happened to education during the Revolutionary War Period?.. 15 II. THE NATIONAL PERIOD: EDUCATION FOR ALL.... 17 What grand awakening came in education in the 1800's? 17 What did Horace Mann give to American education?. What foreign educators influenced the American schools?_ What influence had Sunday schools on education in the nineteenth century?.. What general changes came about in rural and village education in the century that included the period of the War Between the States?.. II. THE NATIONAL PERIOD: EDUCATION FOR ALL Continued. What new schools were organized for the older children?................ What direction did the development in the colleges take from about How did the Federal Government give the schools a start?__ What were permanent school funds?.. As schools increased in number in the 1800's, what units of school What special plans were being made for physcial education programs When did the teaching of trades become a part of our educational FOREWORD HIS BULLETIN represents an innovation in U. S. Office of Education procedures in the writing of publications, since it has been produced by the cooperative effort of 12 students at Kent State University in Kent, Ohio, and their instructor in English. Because of the many requests from seventh- and eighth-grade rural school pupils for a brief history of education, it was thought desirable to have such a manuscript written simply rather than technically. This purpose the group of students has kept in mind. Acknowledgment is made to: who were group authors of the publication; and to Berta Kernen and Luise Reitzel who with their instructor, Wilma Leslie Garnett, Associate Professor of English, edited the manuscript. Acknowledgment is also due the various specialists in the U. S. Office of Education who reviewed certain sections to check the accuracy and completeness of statements made; to Sabra W. Vought for review of the manuscript; to Edith A. Wright who checked some of the historical statements and who selected the pictures for sections I and II; and to Helen K. Mackintosh who had general supervision of the project and who prepared the manuscript for publication. It has been possible to add to the interest of the bulletin through the use of a large number of pictures from various sources. Courtesy lines identify these, with the exception of illustrations appearing on the cover. The one at the top of the cover is the interior of a schoolroom about 1840, by R. F. Heinrich, used through the courtesy of the National Life Insurance Company; the modern school at the bottom. of the cover is used through the courtesy of the public schools of Grand Rapids, Mich. It is hoped that this publication will fulfill its purpose by stimulating in young people, especially, an interest in the public schools of this country as a product of many years, made possible through the efforts of many different people. BESS GOODYKOONTZ, Assistant U. S. Commissioner of Education. From the centennial chart of the New York Department of Public Instruction, 185, INTRODUCTION HE AMERICAN PEOPLE of today are indebted to many people THE of long ago for the public schools of their country. Many are the years it has taken to develop the public-school system that Americans know. A long time ago, in the Colonial Period of American history to be exact, our national ancestors laid the foundation of a school system for rich and poor of all ages. In this bulletin, America Builds a School System, we present the story of how schools came into being in these United States of America. I. THE AMERICAN COLONISTS AND OLD WORLD BELIEFS ABOUT EDUCATION IT WAS 1500, the time for adventure. A new world, just discovered, was calling daring Englishmen, inquiring Scotchmen, and trading Dutchmen to come to it and establish a civilization offering new opportunities to men and women of courage. The new region beckoned the restless with its promise of riches, offered freedom to the oppressed, and promised security to the poor-to all, in fact, who could make the hazardous ocean voyage and have courage enough to break into a wilderness and begin life anew. By 1600, many people from the British Isles, Holland, and France had responded to the call from the continent of North America. When did the American colonists first think about schools? Soon after the colonists had become established in their new land, they felt the need for universal education. They came to believe. that a nation could not grow and prosper as they wished theirs to do unless the majority of the people could be educated. These colonists brought with them Old World traditions and ideals which were to go into the foundation for a new nation. English beliefs about education were mingled with ideas from Holland and Scotland as the schools were established. The church and the trades had supervised the educational program in England; the church had been the power influencing education in Holland, while the state had supported the school systems; both church and state had directed the program in Scotland. When the colonists began to plan schools, they gathered together ideas from many countries and followed Old World traditions in setting up the systems used for a long time in the various colonies. These traditions molded the educational ideals in America and a great public school system was the result. Did every child go to school in the early days? From the beginning, the colonists were determined to give their children some education. By 1642, the people of Massachusetts were demanding that the "selectmen" of each town be responsible for seeing that all children in the town be taught to read, to understand religion, to obey the laws, and to do some useful work. The education could be given in the homes or in the village school. In the early days of our country, the American Colonies were merely extensions of Europe. |