The Impact Of The Morrill Land Grant Act On Agricultural Education

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In the year of 1862, Abraham Lincoln signed the Morrill Land Grant Act providing funds for the creation of land-grant schools in each state in the United States of America. Specifically, this act gave each state “30,000 acres…to establish a college that would promote education in agriculture, mechanics, classical studies and military tactics” (Morrill Act). The act provided each state with government funds to purchase the land, but the state itself was required to find the capital to erect the buildings. The Morrill Act was initially introduced to President Buchanan, but he vetoed it based on his belief that it was “financially draining for the Treasury, a threat to existing colleges, and unconstitutional” (Morrill, J.). On the second occasion …show more content…

Originally, education was only attainable through wealth and the established schools were limited to teaching language and religion, also known as classical education. However, this act changed the precedent and provided an education at a reduced price to the lower and middle class citizens of America. The education from this act also met the demands of the growing, industrializing nation because it supplied educated scientists and engineers to help diminish the growing deficit the country had been experiencing since it was founded (Loss, C.). Many people seized this opportunity and their success in the land grant schools have significantly changed the way agriculture currently works. For example, it is common for farmers of today to account for the effects environment, rate of photosynthesis, respiration, and water consumption have on their crop yield, but without the students that attended the land-grant colleges established by the Morrill Act, this information may not have been found until many years later (Edmond). The evidence students witnessed in their studies was then used to provide a basic understanding of the different regions that crops and animals were better suited for. For instance, Arizona is best suited to grow winter wheat and sheep because of the arid environment, according to The Magnificent Charter. Students of land grant colleges also participated in agricultural advancement during World War 1 when food was found to have a high vitamin deficiency. With slightly more funding from the government, students were able to rapidly increase their realm of research and find ways to produce food with more vitamins. More recently in 1970, the United States was faced with a fungus that was infecting fields of corn in many of the Southeastern states. Luckily, the Morrill Land Grant Act has continually

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