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. Minorini 2 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 Minorini 3 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 Minorini 4 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. Minorini 5 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. Minorini 6 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. Minorini 7 Appendices A. (For the Benefit) B. (Beginnings) Minorini 8 C. (Leslie) Minorini 9 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. Minorini 10 "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.