Kate Minorini
Ploesser—Yellow
12/12/13
Turn of the Century Tutelage
William Howard Taft, the 27th president of the United States, said “The government is for the
benefit of all people.” But was it? The government wanted America to be one of the leading
countries when it came to literacy and education. The intentions of the government were good,
but the initial plan did not work as well as it was intended. The American education system was
supposed to take major steps forward for the American population, however; for certain
minorities such as Blacks, Indians, Asians, and women, the education system became worse.
One of the major improvements to the education system was that it became more accessible
for immigrants as well as Americans citizens. Because the government made a system of free
public education, public schools became more popular than private schools when it came to basic
education and subjects such as English, Math, Science, and History (Smith). New standards of
education were created for the population and these standards made the education system much
better. The Cardinal Principals of Education were introduced in 1918. That raised the standard
of education in secondary schools (Scherer). The Cardinal Principals of Education state that,
“Secondary education should be determined by the needs of society to be served, the character of
individuals to be educated, and the knowledge of educational theory and practice available,”
(Cardinal 7). This means that the education should be formed around the society that it is being
taught to; it should not be one rigid way of teaching/learning. Only a select few Americans were
able to afford education before the turn of the century because only private education was
offered. When public education was created and offered to all in the early 1900, “over fifteen
million American children [were] enrolled in public schools,” (PBS). The American education
system expanded greatly after the turn of the century.
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American children that belonged to different minorities were able to become educated
because of the new education system. In addition to offering more affordable and accessible
education, America started to teach other countries’ history, not just their own. This was
significant because it allowed immigrants to have a better understanding of their history and
made the American education system more broad, encompassing other cultures. The reason that
the Bureau of Education did this was to “…establish a genuine sense of internationalism, free
from sentimentality, founded on fact, and actually operative in the affairs of nations,” (Cardinal
15). America was taking many steps toward equality for all, regardless of national origin.
America explored new, uncharted territories in regards to immigrant education. Because
immigrants often did not understand much English, the American government set up a system
that helped teach immigrants English and American values before they entered the public school
system. The American government would often make special courses to help integrate students
from foreign countries, who did not speak English, learn about American culture and help them
understand English. The government tried to “[create] special courses to teach English and
provide instruction in American political and civic values,” (Education). Although the American
Education took tremendous steps forward at the turn of the century, there were still many flaws
that lingered from the 19th century.
African Americans continued to have a tougher time getting an education because of various
challenges within the system. Schools remained rigidly segregated, allowing different
educational standards to be used at Black and White schools. Black education facilities were not
as well equipped as those of White children. In the south, Black children were ostracized because
of the color of their skin; they were not offered as many opportunities as the White children.
African Americans in the southern states in particular were often put at a disadvantage because
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of limited resources in the segregated schools (America at Work). Because of this, they were set
up to not go as far in the workforce as White Americans. In addition to not having adequate
resources like books, pencils, and paper, and the buildings of the Black schools were often
subpar when compared to those of the White schools (Appendix B). The picture in Appendix B
shows one example of how the federal government funded the White schools much better than
Black schools. Even the exterior of the White elementary school building was notably better than
the exterior of the Black elementary schools. African Americans were put at a disadvantage in
the education system because the government chose not to set African Americans up to succeed
in the education field.
Many Black children preferred the segregated school facilities because then they would not
be treated as lesser and would be thought of as more equal. Because racism was a very present in
the early 1900’s, school systems treated Black children much worse than the White children,
especially in the south. Because African American children were treated so poorly, “…they
liked having schools of their own, not subject to White interference, in which Black children
would feel comfortable and not be taunted with racial epithets,” (Beginnings). Even though
Black schools were not as well funded, many African American children were willing to
sacrifice their education because they did not want to be treated poorly by the White school
children. Although African Americans were at a disadvantage in regards to their educational
opportunities, most still were able to have great attendance rates in Black schools and obtain a
basic education. In the early 1900’s, 56% of the Black population was able to read and write
(NAAL). This is a significant statistic because until the civil war, most Blacks in America were
enslaved and not legally allowed to be taught to read/write. Given this history, the large increase
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in literacy rates by the 1900’s was a significant accomplishment that was something the black
community should have been proud of.
Indian- American children were also treated poorly by the federal government’s education
system. American Indian children were put into special schools that helped to integrate them and
prepare them for American society. The special schools were in terrible conditions. The
facilities often had terrible management, a lack of educational materials, and poor hygiene
(America at work). The Government required that the Indian-American children to attend the
special schools. Children were sometimes forcibly taken from their parents so that they could
attend the schools far away from their families (America at Work). Indian Americans were
discriminated against and stereotyped within the education system.
Zitkala-Ša Gertrude Bonnin was a self-made Indian American writer. She grew up on an
Indian reservation and was able to witness what the effects of the “white man” had on her
people. She grew up making bread and learning the ways of the land. When she turned eight,
Quaker missionaries took her from her home and sent her to a boarding school. In her school, she
experienced discrimination and was forced to read the bible. Also, she was separated from her
mother for a long time. Because of this, she developed resentment towards the school system.
When Zitkala-Ša returned to her reservation, she experienced how her view of herself was so
much different than how her mother viewed her. She had missed many important events that
occurred on her reservation and she felt disconnected with her culture. Zitkala-Ša eventually
went on to college and became an independent author even though she went against her mother’s
wishes to drop out of the American public school system and return to her reservation.
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In addition to having American-Indian children discriminated against in the school system,
Asian American children were also discriminated against. As the 20th century began, tensions
with Asian Americans rose. Because of this, the Exclusion Act was created. Chinese immigrants
were already not allowed to enter the United States because of rising tensions with Asia
(Timeline). Asian-American families trying to immigrate to America in order to set their
children up for a better future were no longer granted access to enter the country (Appendix C).
In addition, children of Asian descent were no longer allowed to attend the public school systems
in certain parts of the country and Asian immigrants were no longer granted access to enter the
United States and take advantage of the land of the free.
Education was not considered important for women by many American families, who chose
not to send their daughters to school. With specific gender roles being present in American
society, many women and their families often did not find it necessary to be educated, or didn’t
express a want for knowledge. Because of a ridged adherence to gender roles, women,
specifically teenage girls, were taught subjects that related to household arts. Society felt it
would better benefit the girls and others if young women were not taught core subjects (Cardinal
12). Instead their education consisted of subjects such as home education, cooking, and Basic
English skills. Even at university women would take courses that would help them in the home
rather than take a rigorous class schedule. General society did not believe that women were
physically capable of going and acquiring a higher education. They believed that because women
menstruated once a month, they were unable to be as good as men in the workforce. Malane took
this logic further, commenting that, “…highly intellectual women are not equipped with
functioning reproductive organs,” (18). At the turn of the century, being female and being
intellectual were widely thought to be incompatible.
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Before the turn of the century, women were supposed to stay home and take care of the
children. As education became more accessible to the American public, many women felt they
faced a choice of becoming independent and educated or staying at home and taking care of the
families, as they had previously done. The majority of women who obtained jobs directly out of
high school only worked for a couple of years. Most women later went on the work in the home
and raise a family (Cardinal 12). Also, women were almost forced to choose whether or not they
wanted to work because society let them think that they had to have either an education or a
family. For the women of the early 1900’s, simultaneously holding a job and having a family
was not an option. Certain pictures depicted the perception that it was close to impossible to have
a successful household while having a successful career (Appendix A). In the appendix, the
picture shows that women would be overwhelmed if she had to manage both the home and
school. Because of this perception, women were not supported or encouraged to go to school in
the same was that men were.
Although the American education system took major steps forward for the White male in
the early 1900’s, for certain minorities such as Blacks, Indians, Asians, and women, the
education system remained inadequate. The government enforced these inadequacies for Blacks,
Indians, and Asians while social attitudes, not laws or reform programs, held back women.
However, the federal government learned from these mistakes and made the necessary many
changes to improve the education of minorities. In present day, the education system is a wellestablished institute that has more equality among the minorities and women. It would not be
such a well-developed system without learning from the missteps made in the early 1900’s.
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Appendices
A.
(For the Benefit)
B.
(Beginnings)
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C.
(Leslie)
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Works Cited
"America at Work / America at Leisure, 1894-1915." America at Work / America at Leisure,
1894-1915. Library of Congress, n.d. Print. 01 Nov. 2013.
"Beginnings of Black Eucation." Beginnings of Black Education. Virginia Historical Society,
2012. Web. 01 Nov. 2013. <http://www.vahistorical.org/collections-andresources/virginia-history-explorer/civil-rights-movement-virginia/beginnings-black>.
“Cardinal Principals of Secondary Education”. Bureau of Education, 1918. Print.
“Education in the 1900s: Overview, 1900-1909." DISCovering U.S. History. Detroit: Gale,
1997. Student Resources In Context. Print. 1 Nov. 2013.
"For the Benefit of the Girl about to Graduate." Family in Society: Essential Primary Sources.
Ed. K. Lee Lerner, Brenda Wilmoth Lerner, and Adrienne Wilmoth Lerner. Detroit: Gale,
2006. 240-243. World History In Context. Print. 4 Nov. 2013.
Malane, Rachel. “Sex in Mind”. New York. Lang Publishing, 2005. Print.
Scherer, Melissa. Notre Dame, N.d. Print. 04 Nov. 2013.
Smith, Neville B. "Journal of Vocational and Technical Education." JVTE V16n1. Virginia
Tech, Oct. 1999. Print. 04 Nov. 2013.
"TIMELINE of Asian American History between 1900 and 1909." TIMELINE of Asian
American History between 1900 and 1909. Asian American Artistry, 1995. Web. 04 Nov.
2013.
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"Womens Access to Higher Education." HerStoria. HerStoria, 21 July 2012. Web. 04 Nov.
2013.
Pictures
"Beginnings of Black Eucation." Beginnings of Black Education. Virginia Historical Society,
2012. Web. 01 Nov. 2013. <http://www.vahistorical.org/collections-andresources/virginia-history-explorer/civil-rights-movement-virginia/beginnings-black>.
"For the Benefit of the Girl about to Graduate." Family in Society: Essential Primary Sources.
Ed. K. Lee Lerner, Brenda Wilmoth Lerner, and Adrienne Wilmoth Lerner. Detroit: Gale,
2006. 240-243. World History In Context. Print. 4 Nov. 2013.
Leslie, Frank. The Only One Barred Out. 1st April 1892. Web.