Education In The 1700s

In the 1700s, also known as the Era of Rebellion for the United States, education was limited. This was before public schools were around, and it was not mandatory for boys and girls to be in a school for eight hours a day, five days a week. A lot of times the children were dependant on the parents, and the style of education and what the children learned was based on the region of where they lived. These regions are known as the New England Colonies, the Middle Colonies, and the Southern Colonies. In addition to the location as to where they lived, the children grew up during the Enlightenment, also known as the Age of Reason. The ideas of science widened and the influence of several great authors, such as John Locke, and philosophers expanded …show more content…
The colonies that are included are Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, and New Hampshire. Boys and girls were taught to read their Bible, and as a result, New England had the highest literacy rates out of the different regions, at about seventy- five percent for boys and sixty- five percent for girls. Another cause for the higher averages is that in Massachusetts there was a law passed saying that in the larger cities of 50 families or more, a man was hired as a teacher in a school so that he could teach the children to read, to write, and to do arithmetic. This law was established in the 1600s, but carried throughout the revolutionary era. This law would help to start down the path for more advanced education and better schools. Despite this law in Massachusetts, the parents had the job to teach their children to read and write. It was common throughout the New England region so that the children could read and understand the laws of their colony and to also read the …show more content…
It started in the late 17th century and ended early 19th century, which was significant because it led to revolutions in the sciences, politics, literature, and education. It also emphasized the intellectual mind and gaining knowledge over the spiritual. Important writers, such as John Locke and Montesquieu, emerged in this time for their revolutionary ideas that impacted the world around us. John Locke, who was known mainly for his views on politics, but had major impact on the education of the American Colonies. His ideas from Some Thoughts Concerning Education are found in several documents from colonial leaders, specifically Benjamin Franklin’s pamphlet, which incorporates John Locke’s ideas as well as several others. His writings during the Enlightenment have shown to impact specifically the Middle Colonies through the teachings of morality and following