Education Reform in the 1800s

1. Education Reform in the 1800s By: Jessica Ng, Casey Reiman, Nicole Honegger

2. Before Education Reform • Before the industrial revolution the middle class taught their children at home. • But because of the industrial revolution, parents couldn’t teach their children at home and the only place that children could attend were private schools. • Many teachers were not qualified and only the upper class had a chance to attend private school.

3. Colleges • In 1862 president Lincoln signed a law to build land grant colleges • Land grant colleges- land given by the government to the states to build free public colleges • Twice as many colleges in 1900 then in 1865 • Women were allowed to attend all state universities by 1900

4. Land Grant Colleges • Land grant colleges are free public colleges built on land given by the government to the states. • Today there are 56 land grant colleges from 1862. • Land Grant colleges started in 1862 when president Lincoln signed a law.

5. Land Grant Colleges: The Morrill act • The Morrill act was first presented in 1857 by Justin Morrill but did not get passed through congress until 1862. • The bill was designed to donate 30,000 acres of federal land to each state so that the states could teach Agriculture, military strategies, engineering and home economics along with some liberal arts. • The Morrill act of 1890 said that colleges who had used to original act to educate white students only either had to allow African Americans in or create a separate but equal school. • The funds of the sale of the land were used to finance new school and improve existing ones.

7. Women Colleges • Were founded in the mid and late 1800’s • They were mostly located in the northeast. • The goal of these colleges was to provide an education for women equal to the education men got. • A shortage of teacher because of the growth of common schools and an increase of devices in the home called for women to have a higher education.

8. The Women’s College of the University of Denver built in 1800s Advertisement for the Printz Biederman Co. Womens College in Cleveland, Ohio

9. Education for African Americans (Pre Civil War) • Before the civil war it was illegal in most southern states to teach African Americans how to read or write • In the north they were allowed to go to school but were separated from the white children • These schools were very poor and had very few supplies. • North Carolina was the only state in the south with an education system for white children.

10. Education for African Americans (Post Civil War) • African Americans of all ages were desperate for an education once they were free. • The Freedmen’s Bureau and the state governments (after 1868) gave the most funding for African American education • The first African American college included the  Hampton Institute in Virginia and Howard University in Washington D.C. • After the civil war public education came to everyone not just African Americans. • Between the time of emancipation and 1900 African American Literacy increased from less than 5% to over 50%.

11. American Indian and African American students at Hampton Institute Freedmen’s Bureau schools

12. Advantages and Disadvantages of Education Reform • Advantages • Parents did not need to worry about educating their children. • Education could now be offered to not just the upper class. • Literacy rates began to increase which started the creation of colleges and more schools. • Children could now choose careers that their parents never had the opportunity to have. • Children could now communicate with more people not just their family. • Disadvantages • People who did not have children did not want to their taxes spent on education. • African Americans who were slaves were not allowed to go to school. • There were not a lot of help given to public schools.

13. Horace Mann (May 4, 1796-August 2, 1859) • Horace Mann was born on May 4, 1796 into a poor farming family. • He had a very basic education that only took place about 3 months out of the year. • He took a great interest in reading and educated himself by often just going to his public library and reading volumes of the encyclopedia. • In his adolescence, he had a private tutor who helped him get into the sophomore class at Brown University, and after he graduated with honors he went on to study law.

14. Horace Man cont.. • Between 1827 and 1848, Mann served as a State Representative and Senator for Massachusetts. • In 1937, Mann became Secretary of Education. • He was devoted to his Unitarian religion and he believed that school should be an equal right for all children, rich or poor. • One of his main goals was to have a “common” school, to promote social harmony and educate children of all backgrounds. In 1837 the first was established. • In his 11 years as Secretary, over 50 high schools had been established, as well as teacher institutions throughout the state. In addition, teacher wages were doubled, and textbooks and other equipment were improved.

15. Dorothea Dix (April 4th, 1802 – July 18th 1887) • Girls were not allowed to be taught in public school but were allowed to be taught privately by other women. • In 1816 when she was 15 she opened a small private school for 6-8 year old girls. • She taught this school for three years. • Went to Boston opened another private school available to young girls. • Opened a free evening school for poor children (one of the first in the nation). • Wrote a number of books for children and parents. • Never had a proper education but she always wanted to learn. • Also made huge reforms for people with mental illnesses.

16. Discussion Questions • What were some advantages and disadvantages about the Education Reform of 1800’s? • Which group of people do you think were effected the most by the Education Reform? • How do you think Land-Grant Colleges effected colleges and universities today?

17. Sources • http://www.nd.edu/~rbarger/www7/mann.html • http://www.horacemann.org/ • http://www.cals.ncsu.edu/agexed/aee501/mann.html • http://www.k12academics.com/education-reform/educational-economies-1800s • http://prezi.com/uic1qooymooc/public-education-reform-of-the-1800s/