Morrill Land Grant Act Essay

777 Words2 Pages

The article investigated the individuals that were on the forefront of the enactment of the Morrill Act of 1862 and the events surrounding the act and the role it played in agricultural education. The author stated that while Justin Morrill deserved credit for the passage of the Morrill Land-grant Act, there were others who played a vital role in the initial review and should be credited for their work. In addition, the research examined the authenticity of teacher preparation of agricultural education at normal schools and land grant institutions. With the passing of land grant legislation, a large number of students enrolled in agricultural education courses, which increased the need of preparing teachers in agriculture. However, the article suggested that teachers were not imparting the entire story of the land grant act, because they did not know it. The purpose of this paper is to review the article for the rest of the story of the establishment of the land grant act and its relationship to teacher preparation. According to Herren and …show more content…

Much credit was given to Congressman Justin Morrill for his role in the passage of the act, because of his political influence to get the bill passed. Yet, according to the author, when one explores the history of land grants, little is mentioned about Jonathan Turner as being the first to introduce the idea of land grants. In his speech, “The Origin of the Land Grant Act of 1862” University of Illinois President Edmond J. James indicated that Turner deserved more accolades in his contribution of laying the ground work and should be recognized for his hard work. Moreover, the individuals who were responsible for teaching students about the history of land grants and the passing of the Morrill Act of 1862 were not fully enlightened about the matter

More about Morrill Land Grant Act Essay

Open Document