Transcript American Education: Pre-Civil War

American Education:
Pre-Civil War
Foundations: Chapter 4
Colonial Education
* Curricula was based on interpretations of God’s
preferences and the three R’s (reading,
writing, and arithmetic)
* The main reading books were the
Old & New Testament of the Bible
Other important books in
colonial education
~ Hornbook
- a transparent sheet of cow horn,
served as a reader, a parchment with
abc’s, vowels, syllables, and prayers
~ Primer
- textbooks to teach rudimentary reading
skills, abc’s, and prayers
* reflected religious values of colonies
Other important books in
colonial education
~ Poor Richard’s Almanac
- textbook of philosophy of virtues:
• thrift
• hard work
• creativity
- Written by Benjamin Franklin
~Blue-Backed Speller
- American Spelling Book
- Written by Noah Webster
Other important books in
colonial education
~ An American Dictionary
- Written by Noah Webster
- showed distinct vocabulary, spelling, and
usage of American words
- used to help separate US from Britain
~McGuffey Readers
- taught literacy skills
- advanced Protestant ethic
- advanced patriotic nationalism
School Houses
~ were usually one-room log or clapboard cabins
- with ages 3 to 20 or more together
in one class
~ instruction was by whole group with choral
response, repetition, drill, memorization, and
punishment if needed.
Secondary Schools
Latin Grammar School
~ Students were boys who entered at 9 or 10 and stayed
4 to 5 years
~ Subjects were Latin, Greek (& associated classics
literature), math, geography, rhetoric
- Step before attending college
Secondary Schools
English Academy
~ Founded by Ben Franklin
- who believed students should acquire and apply
practical knowledge to prepare for the
world and gain a highly skilled occupation
~ Subjects: penmanship, math, bookkeeping, English,
foreign languages (French, Spanish, Latin,
Greek, German)
~ Skills taught: farming, carving, shipbuilding,
carpentry, printing
East Coast Colonies
*
Educated through a tutoring system with a
schoolmaster
- Schoolmaster was usually a member of
the clergy and a prominent
community figure
*
Purpose was to prepare young men for the
ministry and leadership
Southern Colonies
*
Plantation landowner’s children were taught by
a hired tutor
- slaves and indentured servants were rarely
educated
*
Education was formal: reading, writing, math
- learning to read was important so one could
read the Bible and follow God’s will
*
Children of small farmers were taught informally
by the family
Middle Atlantic Colonies
* Diverse population that wanted to preserve
their language and beliefs
* Established Parochial Schools
- taught: religion, 3 Rs, some vocational training
- believed children were inherently good
- rejected corporal punishment
- open to everyone, including: Native Americans
and slaves
New England
* Since many people shared similar values, they
could establish: Town Schools
- towns of 50 households had to employ a
teacher of reading and writing
- towns of 100 households had to provide a
Grammar School
~ to prepare students for
Harvard University
New England (cont.)
* Purpose of schools: to be able to read and
understand religious principles to thwart
the Devil
* Town Schools were developed in response
to the Massachusetts Act of 1647,
which is often referred to as the
Old Deluder Satan Act
New England (cont.)
* The Puritans followed the teachings of
John Calvin
- he believed children were savage and
primitive
- and children needed training and discipline
to conform to society
- schools were to produce literate,
hardworking, frugal and respectful
people able to resist temptation
New Republic
* National education leaders were:
Noah Webster & Thomas Jefferson
* Purpose of education was to prepare good citizens
1) know how to participate responsibly in a
democracy
2) ability to read and write
- makes for a strong people and nation
* Webster promoted a common American language
New Republic (Cont.)
* Jefferson established the Common School
which was the first tax-supported school
* Jefferson also proposed the establishment of
Grammar Schools: to teach foreign
language, grammar, advanced math
- like a Prep School (College Prep)
Northwest Territories
* Northwest Ordinance of 1785
- divided land into townships
- each township had a section of land set
aside for education
~ the schools on this land were called:
land grant schools
- because they were funded by
the income the section brought in