| The English colonists in America undertook the | | | | Something that we should note about this time |
| education of the whole people. They believed that | | | | period, is that at this time illiteracy was quite |
| they must prepare themselves for a most unique | | | | common in Europe among the common people. |
| and important role in the unfolding of modern | | | | France, for example, had over 24 million |
| world history. Universal education was considered | | | | inhabitants, but only 500,000 could actually read |
| an indispensable ingredient for this preparation. | | | | and write. |
| The movement for universal education began in | | | | In the American colonies, the intention of this |
| New England, in the 1647 the legislature of | | | | education system for the children was so that |
| Massachusetts passed a law requiring every | | | | they could grow up to become well informed |
| community of 50 families or households to set up | | | | citizens through their own diligent self-study. This |
| a free public grammar school to teach the | | | | also explains why the Founders were so well read |
| fundamentals of reading, writing, ciphering, history, | | | | having had limited formal education. After learning |
| geography and Bible study. In addition to this, | | | | the fundamentals, they went on to develop |
| every township with 100 families or more was | | | | knowledge through a self-learning process. |
| also required to set up a secondary school in | | | | This system of education was so wide spread, |
| advanced studies to prepare boys for attendance | | | | that by 1831, when Alexis de Tocqueville came to |
| at Harvard. John Adams said that this program | | | | visit the United States, he was amazed. He said |
| was designed to defuse knowledge generally | | | | that to find a person that was ignorant of the |
| through the entire body of the people. He Said: | | | | doctrines and evidences of his religion, the history |
| "They made an early provision by law that every | | | | of his country, and the leading features of the |
| town consisting of so many families should always | | | | Constitution was very rare, a phenomenon. |
| be furnished with a grammar school. They made | | | | Education includes Morality and Politics. Alexis also |
| it a crime for such a town to be destitute of a | | | | stated that" instruction that enlightens the |
| grammar schoolmaster for a few months, and | | | | understanding is not separated from the moral |
| subjected it to heavy penalty. So that the | | | | education. The American learns to know the laws |
| education of all the ranks of people was made | | | | by participating in the act of legislation; and he |
| the care and expense of the public, in a manner | | | | takes a lesson in the forms of government from |
| that I believe has been unknown to any other | | | | governing. In the United States, politics are the |
| people, ancient or modern. | | | | end and aim of education." |
| The Consequences of these establishments we | | | | Young children were taught the value of the |
| see and feel every day (written in 1765). A | | | | Constitution, the book was called "Catechism on |
| Native of America who cannot read and write is | | | | the Constitution." Early Americans knew that they |
| as rare as a comet or an earthquake. It has been | | | | had a unique and invaluable invention of political |
| observed that we are all of us lawyers, divines, | | | | science and they were determined to promote it |
| politicians, and philosophers. And I have good | | | | on all levels of education. |
| authorities to say that all candid foreigners who | | | | Many Early Americans spoke with great |
| have passed through this country and conversed | | | | eloquence, and this was due to their extensive |
| freely with all sorts of people here will all say that | | | | education in reading the Bible. A great example is |
| they have never seen so much knowledge and | | | | Abraham Lincoln, whose great speeches cannot |
| civility among the common people in any part of | | | | be attributed to a college education since he did |
| the world. Liberty cannot be preserved without a | | | | not have one. The Founding Fathers felt that the |
| general knowledge among the people. They have | | | | strength of America's moral character came from |
| a right, an indisputable, unalienable, indefeasible, | | | | the studying of the Bible. "The book teaches man |
| divine right to that most dreaded and envied kind | | | | his own individual responsibility, his own dignity, and |
| of knowledge, I mean, of the characters and | | | | his equality to his fellowman. " One need not go |
| conduct of their rulers." | | | | very far today to find a school that has |
| The way that this system was designed made | | | | eliminated the Bible reading from their curriculum, |
| good local school boards very important. Not only | | | | nor the removal of curriculum for children of the |
| did they choose what textbooks would be used, | | | | same caliber as "Catechism on the Constitution." |
| they also chose which teachers they would issue | | | | One could also say that this Bible verse says it all, |
| certificates to. It was important that the board | | | | Hosea 4: 6 |
| have a rotation of officers every three years. | | | | 6 My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge |
| And that it was 1/3 that was always being | | | | because thou hast, I will also reject thee, that |
| rotated, that way, there were those on the | | | | thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast |
| board with experience (2/3 of the board) that | | | | forgotten the laws of thy God, I will also forget |
| could help keep things maintained while the new | | | | thy children. |
| board members got familiar with the system. | | | | |