American Education in the 1800's

American Education in the 1800's

In the early 1800’s education in America grew and developed rapidly, largely because of the works of three very important men: Noah Webster, William McGuffey, and Horace Mann. These three men were catalysts for the growth of education throughout the nineteenth century, and without them the large strides America took during this time would not have occurred. These great men all shared one goal: to educate the youth of America as well as possible. This was no small task, however, because the educational system in place was disorganized and had several large problems that had to be overcome.

The task of correcting the many problems that faced education in the early 1800’s required the genius of many men to correct. Perhaps the largest problem facing early American schools was the lack of training undergone by the teachers of the time. Teachers were often untrained and unprepared, acting more as babysitters and less as instructors. Schoolhouses also posed a problem; many were small and overcrowded, with no desks and little to no teaching materials (www.nd.edu). One very large problem noticed particularly by Noah Webster was the fact that all the textbooks originated from England. America was still feeling a need for separation from England at this time, and teaching the American youth with English materials was not helping in the strive for true independence (www.ctstateu.com). These problems with the educational system proved to be difficult to correct, and some of them are still faced by boards of education even today.

The man with the greatest influence on modern language and spelling is Noah Webster. Webster found fault in the use of English textbooks in American schools, so he wrote his o...

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...nment supported school system built to serve all American youth. Mann also created school libraries and placed a six month minimum on school attendance for all children (www.christianlaw.com).

The efforts of Noah Webster, William McGuffey, and Horace Mann paved the way for modern education in America. Before their accomplishments American schools were disorganized, ineffective, and not even truly American. These Americans took that dysfunctional school system and made an organized, effective, truly American system that produced many successful citizens and made America a better, more educated country. The rapid development of education enjoyed by Americans in the early 1800’s was due in large part to these three men, and without them America would not be what it is today.

Sources Cited

www.nd.edu

www.ctstateu.com

lib.muohio.edu

www.christianlaw.com