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Message: 23rd Principle--.A broad program of general education.
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23rd
Principle
A free society cannot survive
as a republic without a broad
program of general education.
Principle
A free society cannot survive
as a republic without a broad
program of general education.
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The English colonists in America undertook something
which no nation had ever attempted before -- the educating
of the whole people. The colonists had a sense of "manifest
destiny" which led them to believe that they must prepare
themselves for a most unique and important role in the
unfolding of modern world history. Universal education was
therefore considered an indispensable ingredient in this
preparation.
which no nation had ever attempted before -- the educating
of the whole people. The colonists had a sense of "manifest
destiny" which led them to believe that they must prepare
themselves for a most unique and important role in the
unfolding of modern world history. Universal education was
therefore considered an indispensable ingredient in this
preparation.
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John Adams Describes Beginning
of Public Education
John Adams Describes Beginning
of Public Education
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The movement for universal education began in New
England. Clear back in 1647 the legislature of Massachusetts
passed a law requiring every community of 50 families or
householders to set up a free public grammar school to teach
the fundamentals of reading, writing, ciphering, history,
geography, and Bible study. In addition, every township
containing 100 families or more was required to set up a
secondary school in advanced studies to prepare boys for
attendance at Harvard. John Adams stated that this whole
program was designed to have "knowledge diffused generally
through the whole body of the people." He said:
"They made an early provision by law that every
town consisting of so many families should be always
furnished with a grammar school. They made it a crime
for such a town to be destitute of a grammar
schoolmaster for a few months, and subjected it to
heavy penalty. So that the education of all ranks of
people was made the care and expense of the public, in
a manner that I believe has been unknown to any other
people, ancient or modern.
The movement for universal education began in New
England. Clear back in 1647 the legislature of Massachusetts
passed a law requiring every community of 50 families or
householders to set up a free public grammar school to teach
the fundamentals of reading, writing, ciphering, history,
geography, and Bible study. In addition, every township
containing 100 families or more was required to set up a
secondary school in advanced studies to prepare boys for
attendance at Harvard. John Adams stated that this whole
program was designed to have "knowledge diffused generally
through the whole body of the people." He said:
"They made an early provision by law that every
town consisting of so many families should be always
furnished with a grammar school. They made it a crime
for such a town to be destitute of a grammar
schoolmaster for a few months, and subjected it to
heavy penalty. So that the education of all ranks of
people was made the care and expense of the public, in
a manner that I believe has been unknown to any other
people, ancient or modern.
-
"The consequences of these establishments we see
and feel every day [written in 1765]. A native of America
who cannot read and write is as rare ... as a comet or an
earthquake. It has been observed that we are all of us
lawyers, divines, politicians, and philosophers. And I
have good authorities to say that all candid foreigners
who have passed through this country and conversed
freely with all sorts of people here will allow that they
have never seen so much knowledge and civility among
the common people in any part of the world.... Liberty
cannot be preserved without a general knowledge among
the people.... They have a right, an indisputable,
unalienable, indefeasible, divine right to that most
dreaded and envied kind of knowledge -- I mean, of the
characters and conduct of their rulers." (Koch, The
American Enlightenment, p. 239.)
"The consequences of these establishments we see
and feel every day [written in 1765]. A native of America
who cannot read and write is as rare ... as a comet or an
earthquake. It has been observed that we are all of us
lawyers, divines, politicians, and philosophers. And I
have good authorities to say that all candid foreigners
who have passed through this country and conversed
freely with all sorts of people here will allow that they
have never seen so much knowledge and civility among
the common people in any part of the world.... Liberty
cannot be preserved without a general knowledge among
the people.... They have a right, an indisputable,
unalienable, indefeasible, divine right to that most
dreaded and envied kind of knowledge -- I mean, of the
characters and conduct of their rulers." (Koch, The
American Enlightenment, p. 239.)
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Importance of Good Local School Boards
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The success of this educational effort was due largely to
the careful selection of highly conscientious people to serve
on the school committees in each community and supervise
the public schools. Historian John Fiske says these school
committees were bodies of "great importance." Then he adds:
"The term of service of the members is three years,
one third being chosen annually. The number of
members must therefore be some multiple of three. The
slow change in the membership of the board insures
that a large proportion of the members shall always be
familiar with the duties of the place. The school
committee must visit all the public schools at least once
a month, and make a report to the town every year. It is
for them to decide what textbooks are to be used. They
examine candidates for the position of teacher and issue
certificates to those whom they select." (Fiske, Civil
Government in the United States, Houghton, Mifflin and
Company, Boston, 1890], pp. 22-23.)
The success of this educational effort was due largely to
the careful selection of highly conscientious people to serve
on the school committees in each community and supervise
the public schools. Historian John Fiske says these school
committees were bodies of "great importance." Then he adds:
"The term of service of the members is three years,
one third being chosen annually. The number of
members must therefore be some multiple of three. The
slow change in the membership of the board insures
that a large proportion of the members shall always be
familiar with the duties of the place. The school
committee must visit all the public schools at least once
a month, and make a report to the town every year. It is
for them to decide what textbooks are to be used. They
examine candidates for the position of teacher and issue
certificates to those whom they select." (Fiske, Civil
Government in the United States, Houghton, Mifflin and
Company, Boston, 1890], pp. 22-23.)
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European and American Literacy Compared
-
The unique and remarkable qualities of this program are
better appreciated when it is realized that this was an age
when illiteracy was the common lot of most people in Europe.
John Adams, who spent many years in France, commented
on the fact that of the 24 million inhabitants of France, only
500,000 could read and write. (Koch, The American
Enlightenment, pp. 213, 217.)
The unique and remarkable qualities of this program are
better appreciated when it is realized that this was an age
when illiteracy was the common lot of most people in Europe.
John Adams, who spent many years in France, commented
on the fact that of the 24 million inhabitants of France, only
500,000 could read and write. (Koch, The American
Enlightenment, pp. 213, 217.)
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In the American colonies the intention was to have all
children taught the fundamentals of reading, writing, and
arithmetic, so that they could go on to become well informed
citizens through their own diligent self-study. No doubt this
explains why all of the American Founders were so well read,
and usually from the same books, even though a number o
them had received a very limited formal education. The
fundamentals were sufficient to get them started, and
thereafter they became remarkably well informed in a variety
of areas through self-learning. This was the pattern followed
by both Franklin and Washington.
In the American colonies the intention was to have all
children taught the fundamentals of reading, writing, and
arithmetic, so that they could go on to become well informed
citizens through their own diligent self-study. No doubt this
explains why all of the American Founders were so well read,
and usually from the same books, even though a number o
them had received a very limited formal education. The
fundamentals were sufficient to get them started, and
thereafter they became remarkably well informed in a variety
of areas through self-learning. This was the pattern followed
by both Franklin and Washington.
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Even Young Children Trained
in the Constitution
in the Constitution
-
To appreciate the literal reality of the emphasis on
politics in early American education, one need only examine
the popular textbook on political instruction for children. It
was called a "Catechism on the Constitution," and it
contained both questions and answers concerning the
principles of the American political system. It was written by
Arthur J. Stansbury and published in 1828.
Early Americans knew they were in possession of a
unique and valuable invention of political science, and they
were determined to promote it on all levels of education.
To appreciate the literal reality of the emphasis on
politics in early American education, one need only examine
the popular textbook on political instruction for children. It
was called a "Catechism on the Constitution," and it
contained both questions and answers concerning the
principles of the American political system. It was written by
Arthur J. Stansbury and published in 1828.
Early Americans knew they were in possession of a
unique and valuable invention of political science, and they
were determined to promote it on all levels of education.
-
Early Americans Educated
to Speak with Eloquence
to Speak with Eloquence
-
In 1843, Daniel Webster made a statement which might
surprise Americans of our own day:
"And whatever may be said to the contrary, a
correct use of the English language is, at this day
[1843], more general throughout the United States than
it is throughout England herself." (The Works of Daniel
Webster, 6 vols., Little, Brown and Company, Boston,
1851, 1:102.)
In 1843, Daniel Webster made a statement which might
surprise Americans of our own day:
"And whatever may be said to the contrary, a
correct use of the English language is, at this day
[1843], more general throughout the United States than
it is throughout England herself." (The Works of Daniel
Webster, 6 vols., Little, Brown and Company, Boston,
1851, 1:102.)
-
It was commonplace for the many people on the frontier,
as well as on the Atlantic seaboard, to speak with a genuine
flavor of eloquence. Sermons and orations by men of limited
formal education reflected a flourish and style of expression
which few Americans could duplicate today. Many of these
attributed their abilities to extensive reading of the Bible.
Such was the case with Abraham Lincoln. Certainly the
classical beauty of the Gettysburg Address and his many
other famous expressions cannot be attributed to college
training, for he had none.
It was commonplace for the many people on the frontier,
as well as on the Atlantic seaboard, to speak with a genuine
flavor of eloquence. Sermons and orations by men of limited
formal education reflected a flourish and style of expression
which few Americans could duplicate today. Many of these
attributed their abilities to extensive reading of the Bible.
Such was the case with Abraham Lincoln. Certainly the
classical beauty of the Gettysburg Address and his many
other famous expressions cannot be attributed to college
training, for he had none.
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Cultural Influence of Extensive Bible Reading
-
Not only did the Bible contribute to the linguistic habits
of the people, but it provided root strength to their moral
standards and behavioral patterns. As Daniel Webster stated,
wherever Americans went, "the Bible came with them." Then
he added:
Not only did the Bible contribute to the linguistic habits
of the people, but it provided root strength to their moral
standards and behavioral patterns. As Daniel Webster stated,
wherever Americans went, "the Bible came with them." Then
he added:
-
"It is not to be doubted, that to the free and
universal reading of the Bible, in that age, men were
much indebted for right views of civil liberty. The Bible is
a book of faith, and a book of doctrine, and a book of
morals, and a book of religion, of especial revelation
from God; but it is also a book which teaches man his
own individual responsibility, his own dignity, and his
equality with his fellow-man." (Ibid.,)
"It is not to be doubted, that to the free and
universal reading of the Bible, in that age, men were
much indebted for right views of civil liberty. The Bible is
a book of faith, and a book of doctrine, and a book of
morals, and a book of religion, of especial revelation
from God; but it is also a book which teaches man his
own individual responsibility, his own dignity, and his
equality with his fellow-man." (Ibid.,)
-
In our own day the public schools have been secularized
to the point where no Bible reading is permitted. The
Founding Fathers would have counted this a serious
mistake.
In our own day the public schools have been secularized
to the point where no Bible reading is permitted. The
Founding Fathers would have counted this a serious
mistake.
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