Public Schools In The 19th Century

The Development of Public Schools in the 19th Century
Horace Mann once said, “It may be an easy thing to make a Republic; but it is a very laborious thing to make Republicans.”(Nasaw 40). At the beginning of the 19th century, the United States was far from the ideal model of a developed government. George Washington had completed his first two terms in 1797, as the first president. Leading into the 1800s, there were many issues that needed to be fixed before the U.S. could properly be called a nation. The first presidency was a trial and it was up to future political figures in the 1800s to iron out all the flaws. One of the many ideas that was put forth was the development of education. In order for there to be a successful republic, …show more content…
This is to show that Jefferson was truly an admirer of the U.S. and everyone who was a part of it. He longed to be the figure that would encourage anyone, from any background, to successfully lead in the future. Jefferson’s goal for the future in education was to foster the future leaders into, reliable, patriotic citizens. Similarly, Benjamin Rush believed that educating the youth early on would further their education as citizens. It was essential that from a young age the students were taught the law, and the most reliable place to do so was in a school building. In accordance with Jefferson’s ideas, Rush also believed that a women’s role in her child’s life determined how well accustomed the child was to the laws and government of America. As nurturing figures, women were just as important in the educating process and Rush believed that they needed to grow familiar with the laws and government just as much as anybody else to better educate their children. Finally, a name that might sound familiar, is the influence Noah Webster had on the development of public education. Noah Webster wasn’t as much a politician, but a social influence. Aside from developing the Webster Dictionary, he instilled a new language that was different from British English in the way it was pronounced and spelled. The textbook he published in the late 1700s was the “Blueback Speller”, which was extensively used in the curriculum as schools were developing (Tyack 22). You can credit our American accent to Noah Webster due to the fact that he believed so strongly that a step towards an independent nation was by eliminating European influence. In Webster’s views, “Common schools are needed to instill in American children ‘an inviolable attachment to their own country…let the first word he lisps be Washington.” (Kaestle 6). The basis of a republic was having