“If you accept that the government...”
I didn't say I accept anything. You asked a question of fact:
“When and how and why did Americans allow the government to do government schools?”
Although I don't think Maryland was the first American colony to have government-funded and -organized schools, I know that, as a matter of historical fact, it did, that these efforts predated the American Revolution, and didn't seem to perturb in principle anyone during the period of the Revolution and its aftermath, through the adoption of the Constitution.
In fact, the original efforts at “free schools” in Maryland go back to 1696, with the founding of King William's School in Annapolis by the colony's general assembly. I didn't cite it because it King William's eventually became the modern St. John's College. It wasn't what we call a college today, but it eventually became one. It eventually became a private school, as well.
You asked a question of history. I gave you an answer.
If you wish to argue that there should be no public schools, that's fine. I homeschooled my sons through eighth grade and then sent them off to a private Catholic high school.
But that's a philosophical stand that must take into account actual historical facts. And the facts are that government was doing schools in the American colonies before the founding, continued through the founding, and picked up speed after the founding.
There have been many twists and turns in public education since the 17th and 18th century. Whether one thinks those twists and turns have been good or bad, whether one thinks that public schools have morphed into something evil from more benign beginnings, whether one thinks the entire enterprise was bad from the beginning, everyone is entitled to his own opinion but not his own facts.
There were government schools from the colonial era through the revolutionary and constitutional eras, and these government schools picked up speed continuously from that time onward.
sitetest
For people to accept the idea that government can mandate or even be allowed to have children 8 hours per day in a government building to rule them for that time , is abominable to me and should be to anyone that has any brain cell in their head. When you allow government do to anything you empower government and at the same take take away individual rights and freedom. democrats love to do this and love government.
All government should be allowed to do is military,border control , international issues. And at the local level all government should be allowed is police , courts to settle act as a referee and to enforce just a handful of basic criminal laws obvious to anyone that protect individual rights to property( no theft, no trespassing), no murder, no assault , no robbery, etc. Also allow a few basic civil fair laws that allow suing to settle contracts,disputes . etc.