Expanding Public Education
The Americans,
Chapter 16.2, pages 488-491.
Expanding Public Education
“Although most states had established public schools by the Civil
War, many school-aged children still received no formal
schooling. The majority of students who went to school left
within four years, and few went to high school.”
~The Americans, page 488.
Schools for Children
• New State Laws
– 12-16 weeks annual attendance
– Children ages 8-14
• School Curriculum
– Reading, writing & arithmetic
– Criticized for emphasis on
memorization
• Kindergartens
– child care for employed mothers
– Grew from 200-3,000 between
1880-1900
• Differing opportunities
– 62% of white children attended
Elementary school, only 34% of
African-American children
The Growth of High Schools
• Economy required workers
with greater technical skills
– Operate machinery
– Chance to climb corporate
ladder (Andrew Carnegie)
• New High School Offerings
– Science, Civics & Social Studies
– Vocational Courses
•
•
•
•
Drafting
Carpentry
Mechanics
Typing
Racial Discrimination
• African Americans excluded
from High Schools
– 1890 less than 1% attend
– Most go to schools with no
government support
– 1910 African-American High
School attendance “rises” to
3%
Education of Immigrants
• Encouraged to go to Schools
– 10 million immigrants arrive
between 1860-1890
– Become “Americanized”
– Learn English
– Catholic schools established
• Provided alternative
• Public schools often taught from
the Protestant Bible
– Night Schools
• Taught English & citizenship
courses
– Henry Ford
• Aimed to “Americanize”
immigrants
• “Great American melting pot”
Expanding Higher Education
“Although the number of students attending high school had
increased by the turn of the century, only a minority of
Americans had high school diplomas. At the same time, an even
smaller minority—only 2.3%--of America’s young people
attended colleges and universities.”
~The Americans, Page 490.
Changes in Universities
• Increased Enrollments
– 1880-1920 enrollments
quadruple
• Entrance Requirements
– Entrance exams
– High School diploma
• Changes in Curriculum
–
–
–
–
–
1st research universities
Physical sciences
Modern languages
Sociology & psychology
Professional schools
• Law
• Medicine
Higher Education for African Americans
• African-American Colleges
– Howard, Atlanta & Fisk Universities
– Only 3880/9 million African
Americans in college in 1900
• Booker T. Washington
– Believed in skill training
– Founded Tuskegee Normal and
Industrial Institute
• W.E.B Du Bois
– Doctorate from Harvard
– Niagara Movement
• Immediate inclusion into
mainstream American Life
• Favored liberal arts education