History of American Education
Dan Driscoll
History of American Education
Colonial Societies
o The Southern Colonies
 Soil > agricultural economy > landed
aristocrats
 Very English in attitude and manners
 Anglican Church influential
 Population patterns sparse, scattered, isolated
 Churches, religion not cohesive force
History of American Education
Colonial Societies
o The Middle Colonies
 Quaker tolerance attracted others, particularly
Germans
 Also British shipmasters, craftsmen, traders,
merchants
 Philadelphia > center of commerce, passed
Boston, NY
 Dutch influence NY > center of finance, trade
and law
History of American Education
Colonial Societies
o The Middle Colonies
 Maryland Catholic enclave, particularly eastern
shore
 Dutch, Swedes, Germans isolated from one
another, English
 English overwhelmed all others in numbers,
influence
History of American Education
Colonial Societies
o The New England Colonies
 Soil, winters limit farms; mountains force
coastal settlements
 Forests, harbors, fish > shipbuilding, fishing
industries
 Region small, compact; 1/8 size south; same
population 1700
 2/3 population New England colonies >
Massachusetts
History of American Education
Colonial Societies
o The New England Colonies
 Township form of government dominant,
unique
 Protestant influence enormous
 Reformation > John Calvin > England:
Puritans, Scotland: Presbyterians, France:
Huguenots, Holland: Dutch Reformed
History of American Education
Colonial Societies
o The New England Colonies
 Unwelcome in Catholic Europe; Puritans
considered Anglicans true, but corrupt
 Puritans > evangelicals > sought “Bible
Commonwealth”
 Puritans > man inherently evil
 Puritan society intolerant, suppressed dissent
 Religion in New England colonies pervasive
History of American Education
Colonial Education
o The Southern Colonies
 Dispersed population inhibited school growth
 Education private, individual matter; parents’
job
 Tutors common among landed gentry; charity
schools by religions, philanthropies
 Private schools grow slowly
History of American Education
Colonial Education
o The Southern Colonies
 Sought Renaissance, English education >
culture, classics, histories, law, music, science,
medicine
 First “free school” in VA 1635, endowed by
Symmes; another 1659 by Eaton > merged
1805 > Hampton
 College of William and Mary 1693; first Phi
Beta Kappa Society 1776; Jefferson, Marshall,
Monroe students
History of American Education
Colonial Education
o The Middle Colonies
 Diversity inhibited schooling; little social
cohesion
 Each religion > parish school; followed
sectarian lines
 In PA, Quakers, Germans > practical training
 Religious instruction all, skill or trade for those
^ 12 y/o
History of American Education
Colonial Education
o The Middle Colonies
 Dutch in NY followed southern pattern >
European model, Holland’s Dutch Reformed
teachings
 Dutch resisted English influence
 Anglicans less education emphasis, despite
Kings College (Columbia)
 Diverse cultures, two dominant languages
slowed NY schooling
History of American Education
Colonial Education
o The New England Colonies
 Two types primary schools: Dame schools and
reading, writing schools for poor; Latin
grammar schools for sons of elites
 Dame schools English; first schooling for boys,
often only for girls; parent fees; homes of
widows, unmarried women
 Reading, writing schools in larger
communities; more reading than writing >
religious instruction, The Bible
History of American Education
Colonial Education
o The New England Colonies
 Puritan influence > harsh schooling >
punishments severe
 All teaching revolved around Puritan
interpretation of Bible
 Boston Latin School (1635), under public
control, partially supported by public funds
 Other Latin grammar schools followed in
small, compact New England settlements
History of American Education
Colonial Education
o The New England Colonies
 Modeled on English Latin schools; stressed
classics, religion
 Latin schools pathway to Harvard (1636), first
colonial college
 Harvard > training for Puritan clergy
 Massachusetts Acts of 1642, 1647 > civic
influence on ed
History of American Education
Colonial Education
o The New England Colonies
 1642 > first ed law in colonies > literacy
checks on children; parental responsibility, not
schools
 1647 > “Old Deluder Satan” Act > schools for
religion; 50 households > one teacher; 100
households > Latin grammar for Harvard
 “Old Deluder Satan” Act basis for public
schools in MA
 Puritan leaders >schooling for religion; no
interest in schooling for democracy > worst
form of politics
History of American Education
American Ed’s 1st Moment – The Past
o British Hegemony
 18th c. > spread of English political, military
economic might worldwide
 Consolidated power, influence North America,
elsewhere > setting stage for Britain’s Age of
Empire
 Emerging commercial superpower > like
Greece, Rome center of global trade, commerce
 Economic expansion, commercial interests
protected by shot and sword > England’s
“wooden wall” – The Royal Navy
History of American Education
American Ed’s 1st Moment – The Past
o British Hegemony
 Global hegemony: Trafalgar (1805), Waterloo
(1815) > #1 superpower for next 100 years
 Consolidated British Isles into Great Britain >
bloody, brutal affair > none more than Scots
1707 Act of Union brought Scotland under
England > Scots unhappy as “Northern Britons”
 England crushed dissent in Scotland
History of American Education
American Ed’s 1st Moment – The Past
o British Hegemony
 Scottish Diaspora > 3-million left; many,
maybe half, to America
 Not largest immigrant group; perhaps most
educated
 Like Puritans, Scot influence in colony, early
Republic vastly outweighed their numbers
 Scot influence on early education unequaled
History of American Education
Assignments
o Readings:
 Urban & Wagoner Text: Chaps. 1 & 2
o Written:
 Complete Family Educational History Paper