Education in Colonial America

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Education in the 17th and 18th-century American colonies varied considerably depending on one's location, race, gender, and social class. Basic education in literacy and numeracy was widely available, especially to whites residing in the northern and middle colonies, and the literacy rate was relatively high. Educational opportunities were much sparser in the rural South.

1 Primary and secondary education
2 Higher education
3 Vocational education
4 Further reading
5 External links

[edit] Primary and secondary education

The New England Puritans valued education, both for the sake of religious study (which was facilitated by Bible reading) and for the sake of economic success. A 1647 Massachusetts law mandated that every town of 50 or more families support an elementary school and every town of 100 or more families support a grammar school, where boys could learn Latin in preparation for college. In practice, some New England towns had difficulty keeping their schools open and staffed, but virtually all New England towns made an effort to provide a school for their children. Both boys and girls attended the elementary schools (though sometimes at different hours or different seasons), and there they learned to read, write, and cipher. In the mid-Atlantic region, private and sectarian schools filled the same niche as the New England "common schools."

The South, which was overwhelmingly rural, had few schools of any sort until the Revolutionary era. Wealthy children studied with private tutors; middling children might learn to read from literate parents or older siblings; many poor and middling white children, as well as virtually all black children, went unschooled. Literacy rates were significantly lower in the South than the north; this remained true until the late nineteenth century.

Secondary schools were rare outside major towns, such as Boston, New York, Philadelphia, and Charleston. Where they existed, secondary schools generally emphasized Latin grammar and advanced arithmetic, with the goal of preparing boys to enter college. Some secondary schools also taught practical subjects, such as accounting, navigation, surveying, and modern languages. Affluent girls could study at finishing schools, which typically emphasized handwriting, French, music, dancing, and fancy needlework. As a rule, secondary education was reserved for the affluent; poor and middling American children either went to work by their early teens or undertook vocational apprenticeships. Some families sent their children to live and work with other families (often relatives or close friends) as a capstone to their education.

[edit] Higher education

The first colleges in British North America were, in chronological order, Harvard (1636), the College of William and Mary (1693), St. John's College, Annapolis MD (1696), Yale (1701), the College of New Jersey (subsequently Princeton) (1746), King's College (subsequently Columbia) (1754), and the College of Philadelphia (subsequently the University of Pennsylvania) (1755). Needless to say, all of these institutions were strictly for men, and primarily for white men. Some colonial colleges experimented with admitting Native American students in the 18th century, but none admitted African-Americans. Because opportunities for secondary education were sparse, boys often entered college at the age or 14 or 15.

College faculties were generally very small, typically consisting of the college president (usually a clergyman), perhaps one or two professors, and several tutors, i.e. graduate students who earned their keep by teaching the underclassmen. All students followed the same course of study, which was of three or (more commonly) four years' duration. Collegiate studies focused on ancient languages, ancient history, theology, and mathematics. In the 18th century, science (especially astronomy and physics) and modern history and politics assumed a larger (but still modest) place in the college curriculum. Until the mid-18th century, the overwhelming majority of American college graduates became Protestant clergymen. Towards the end of the colonial period, law became another popular career choice for college graduates.

[edit] Vocational education

Although few Americans of the colonial era had access to secondary or higher education, many benefitted from various types of vocational education, especially apprenticeship. Both boys and girls were apprenticed for varying terms (up to fifteen years in the case of young orphans). Apprentices were typically taught a trade (if male) or sewing and housewifery (if female) as well as reading and basic religious knowledge. Of course, many children learned job skills from their parents or employers without embarking on a formal apprenticeship. If the girls attended the school, parents were caused with a fine for not only sending them to school, but disobeying their laws.

[edit] Further reading

Cremin, Lawrence. American Education: The Colonial Experience, 1607-1783. New York: Harper & Row, 1970.
Faragher, John Mack, ed. The Encyclopedia of Colonial and Revolutionary America. New York: Da Capo Press, 1996.
Johnson, Clifton. Old-Time Schools and School-books. New York: Dover, 1963.
Spruill, Julia Cherry. Women's Life and Work in the Southern Colonies. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 1938.