LIFESTYLE
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Horace Mann was born on May 4, 1796 in Franklin, Massachusetts.
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He had a poor Yankee father, so he only got up to six weeks of education every year.
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He would spend his free time in the town library.
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When he became older, he enrolled in Brown University for 3 years. The topic of his
lessons was “The Progressive Character of Human Beings.” He later studied law for
only 2 years.
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In 1830, Mann married Charlotte Messer, but she died 2 years later. Mann never got
over it, but he married Mary Tyler Peabody.
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Mann worked as a social reformer and was active in public charity. He improved an
asylum in Worcester. In 1833, he joined the Massachusetts State Senate and mostly
funded construction of railroads and canals.
SOCIAL REFORM
• Horace Mann became the secretary of a newly founded Board of Education.
At first he didn’t really have an interest in schools, he was just in it for the $$$.
But his passion for it grew as he became very active in improving education
and he left all his other jobs.
• He checked every school in Massachusetts, held teachers’ conventions, and
gave speeches. He wanted people of all genders and races to be educated
equally. He believed this could not only teach, but create good morals in the
students such as obeying authority.
• Mann took a visit to England and returned proposing it’s Prussian Education
System. It had specific teacher training, made student attendance a must, and
required national testing at the end of each school year (so blame the Brits
for the finals).
THE COMMON SCHOOL JOURNAL
Mann founded and edited this journal that showed his six main principles:
• Teachers should not be ignorant of what they teach.
• Education should be paid and sustained by the public.
• Education is best when taught to people of all races and genders.
• Schools should be public.
• The teachers should teach with enthusiasm, good methods, and disciplines
of a free society.
• The teachers should be professional and well-trained.
LEGACY
• Horace Mann is considered “The Father of Education” by many historians.
• Many schools are named after him and some celebrate “American
Education Week” in his memory.
• A statue of him stands in front of the Massachusetts State House along with
Daniel Webster.
• Antioch College has a monument that carries his quote “Be ashamed to die
until you have won something for humanity.”
• His efforts started the Common School Movement after his death, which
was in August 2, 1859 when he was 63.
COMMON SCHOOL MOVEMENT
• Was built on the theory that all students should have common
beliefs, aspirations, and values.
• It’s leaders were Henry Barnard, James G. Carter, Ninian Edwards,
Robert Dale Owen, and Thaddeus Stevens. The leading state was
Massachusetts.
• Supported Mann’s six principles.
• Was successful in the North but didn’t affect the South until the
end of the Civil War.
• Lead to the formation of the today’s modern day public education
system.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
"Horace Mann Biography." Bio.com. A&E Networks Television. Web. 29 Feb.
2012. <http://www.biography.com/people/horace-mann-9397522>.
"Horace Mann." Web. 29 Feb. 2012.
<http://www.cals.ncsu.edu/agexed/aee501/mann.html>.
PBS. PBS. Web. 29 Feb. 2012.
<http://www.pbs.org/onlyateacher/horace.html>.
"What Is the Common School Movement? [Contributions of Horace
Mann]."HubPages. Web. 29 Feb. 2012.
<http://dianelockridge.hubpages.com/hub/What-is-the-Common-SchoolMovement>.