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Old Deluder Satan Act of 1647
In 1642 Massachusetts had required parents to ensure their children's ability to read, and five years later, in this act, the state mandated community schooling. -
Benjamin Franklin
Benjamin Franklin started the first public library. He also started a secondary school, or academy in Philadelphia which offered a broad range of subjects. The school was open to anyone who could pay the tuition and attend, regardless of their religious beliefs -
Thomas Jefferson
In 1779 in "A Bill for the More General Diffusion of Knowledge," Jefferson proposed a system of public education to be tax-funded for 3 years for "all the free children, male and female," which was an unusual perspective for the time period. They were allowed to attend longer if their parents, friends, or family could pay for it independently. -
American common school period
Most American children received schooling, if they received any at all. By the end of the period, education included free public education for many, was much more widely available. -
Horace Mann
Arguing that universal public education was the best way to turn unruly American children into disciplined, judicious republican citizens, Mann won widespread approval from modernizers, especially in the Whig Party, for building public schools. Most U.S. states adopted a version of the system Mann established in Massachusetts, especially the program for normal schools to train professional teachers. -
Morrill act of 1862
this act made it possible for new western states to establish colleges for their citizens. The new land-grant institutions, which emphasized agriculture and mechanic arts, opened opportunities to thousands of farmers and working people previously excluded from higher education. -
Kindergarten
Public schools began to offer kindergarten programs. Prior to this time, young children did not attend school until they were 7 years of age -
Opening schools
One notable change during the progressive era was opening 1,000 public high schools. in 1880, there were only about 800 such schools. This movement allowed students to continue their education and prepare them for a career, even if they weren't attending college. -
Montessori Method
The Montessori Method of Education is an educational method developed by Italian physician Maria Montessori. Emphasizing independence, it views children as naturally eager for knowledge and capable of initiating learning in a sufficiently supportive and well-prepared learning environment. -
Smith-Hughes act
Smith-Hughes Act, formally National Vocational Education Act, U.S. legislation, adopted in 1917, that provided federal aid to the states for the purpose of promoting precollegiate vocational education in agricultural and industrial trades and in home economics. -
Elementary
All states had laws requiring all children to attend elementary school. -
Cash shortage
During the great depression of 1930, the situation for schools were bleak. Public schools faced a shortage of cash, since many citizens were unable to pay their taxes -
Dick and Jane readers
These books taught basic reading skills with simple stories about a family. from the 1930's to the 1960's over 85 million students used these textbooks. As with McGuffey's reader s before them, their widespread use helped standardize education.
