Educational Reforms of the 19 th Century

1. Educational Reforms of the 19th Century By: Ilka Knoke and Will Smith

2. Reason for Reform • By 1830 no states had a system of public education. • A new belief arose about the innate capacity of every person and the job of society to tap into that capacity. • A new desire also arose that wanted to expose students to stable social values in order to resist instability.

3. Horace Mann • Horace Mann was the first secretary of the Massachusetts Board of Education (est. 1837) • Mann believed that education was the only way to counterwork the idea of domination of the capital, the servility of labor, and it was the only way to protect democracy.

4. Horace Mann (cont.) • Mann also founded “The Common School Journal” which targeted the public school and its 6 problems: • 1.) The Public should no longer remain ignorant. • 2.) Such education should be paid for, controlled, and sustained by an interested public. • 3.) This education will be best provided in schools that embrace children from a variety of backgrounds. • 4.)This education should be non-sectarian (not based on race or ethnicity). • 5.)This education must be taught by the spirit, methods, and discipline of a free society. • 6.)This education should be provided by professional, well-educated teachers.

5. Methods of Reform Horace Mann reformed the Massachusetts school system by: - lengthening the school year to 6 months - doubling the current teachers salaries - introducing new curriculum - introducing new professional training for teachers

6. Other Key Figures and Dates • Henry Barnard assisted in producing a new educational system in Connecticut and Rhode Island. • In 1835, Pennsylvania passed a law allowing state funds for the support of universal education • William Seward, the governor of New York, promoted more support for public education throughout New York in the 1840’s

7. Impact on the 1800’s • American Indians started being seen as “civilized” if they could be taught the ways of the white world through education. • By the Civil War the U.S. had one of the highest literacy rates of any nation in the world. - 94% of the population of the north - 83% of the White population in the south

8. Impact on the Future • The educational reforms of the 1800’s laid the groundwork for making public education available to all people. • They also put the practice into effect of tax-supported public schools. • And they allowed for teachers to be better educated in order to educate the students in the best way possible.

9. Educational Reforms and Jacksonian Democracy • Both believed in giving more power to the common man: - Jacksonian Democracy focused on giving every man an equal opportunity in both government and life. - The Educational Reforms believed in giving better education to the common man so they couldmake decisions of how they wanted to live.

10. Educational Reforms and the 2nd Great Awakening • Both had the belief of everyone having an equal opportunity: • The 2nd great awakening believed in giving equal opportunity to every man whether or not they were rich or poor. • The Educational Reforms believed in equipping every man, beside their social status or wealth, with the education that would give them an equal opportunity of prosperity.

11. Educational Reforms and Transcendentalism • Both believed in individualism and self reliance: • Transcendentalist believed that every man could be self dependent and not follow the footsteps of others. • The Educational Reforms suggested that people get an education so that they could depend more on themselves instead of others in order to prosper.