History of America's Education #2 Noah Webster & Early America

Sierra Times ^ | April Shenandoah

[Sir Gawain]

History of America's Education
#2 Noah Webster & Early America
By April Shenandoah
Published 03. 27. 02 at 22:25 Sierra Time

Noah Webster would not recognize the dictionary that bears his name today. Webster's New World Dictionary of the American Language defines education as: "1. the process of educating especially by formal schooling; teaching; training. 2. knowledge, ability, etc. thus developed. 3. a) formal schooling. b) a kind or stage of this: as, a medical education. 4. systematic study of the methods and theories of teaching and learning."

In Webster's original dictionary published in 1828, his definition was: "Education - The bringing up, as a child, instruction; formation of manners. Education comprehends all that series of instruction and discipline which is intended to enlighten the understanding, correct the temper, and form the manners and habits of youth, and fit them for usefulness in their future stations. To give children a good education in manners, arts and science, is important; to give them a religious education is indispensable; and an immense responsibility rests on parents and guardians who neglect these duties."

To Webster, the central goal of education was to train youth in the precepts of Christianity. He stated, "In my view, the Christian religion is the most important and one of the first things in which all children under a free government, ought to be instructed...No truth is more evident to my mind than that the Christian religion must be the basis of any government intended to secure the rights and privileges of a free people."

In Webster's United States History Book, he has a chapter on the U.S. Constitution. In there is a section with the heading, Origin of Civil Liberty, which contains this: "Almost all the civil liberty now enjoyed in the world owes its origin to the principles of the Christian religion... The religion which has introduced civil liberty, is the religion of Christ and His apostles, which enjoins humility, piety, and benevolence; which acknowledges in every person a brother, or a sister and a citizen with equal rights. This is genuine Christianity, and to this we owe our free constitutions of government..."

Education in Early America: Education in early America was much different than that of today, in form and results. Most education was done by the home or church. This is where the ideas and character were implanted in our founders. Such training produced one of the greatest group of men - in thought and character - of all time.

Samuel Blumenfield says: "Of the 117 men who signed the Declaration of Independence, the Articles of Confederation and the Constitution, one out of three had had only a few months of formal schooling, and only one in four had gone to college. They were educated by parents, church schools, tutors, academies, apprenticeship, and by themselves.

Almost every child in America was educated. At the time of the Revolution, the literacy level was virtually 100% (even on the frontier it was greater than 70%). John Adams said that to find someone who couldn't read was as rare as a comet. When tutors were hired they were most often ministers, and those that went to college were instructed by ministers.

The first school in New England was the Boston Latin School. It was started in 1636 by Rev. John Cotton to provide education for those who were not able to receive it at home. The first common (public) schools were thoroughly Christian. In 1642 the General Court enacted legislation requiring each town to see that children were taught, especially "to read and understand the principles of religion and the capital laws of this country..."

As time went on private schools flourished more than common schools (especially as the Puritan influence in common schools decreased). The Christian community saw the private schools were more reliable. By 1720 Boston had far more private schools than public ones, and by the close of the American Revolution many towns had no common schools at all." There were no public schools in the Southern colonies until 1730 and only five by 1776.

History repeats itself, as today the issue of public schools Vs private is a hot button. As far as home schooling goes, we are just returning to the days of old. Statistics show that home schooled children are above average in SAT scores, and best of all they can read.

Next time: Universities, Textbooks and Our Founders

 

[Sir Gawain]

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[justshutupandtakeit]

Amidst the falsehoods in this article is the oft-repeated one that virtually 100% of Americans were literate prior to 1900. Why do ideologues keep posting this ignorant lie when it is so easy to disprove?

Only in New England could this claim be made where there were public schools. That is what Adams may have been referring to since he certainly did not believe that universal literacy existed in the south.

As late as 1860 there were large areas of the South where illiteracy was predominate. Of course, the author of this piece of screwball crap somehow "forgets" that it was illegal to teach slaves how to read and write. Thus, the majority in S. Carolina were forbidden by law to learn to read as well as sizeable minorities (30-40% of the total population) in the other states of the Slaveocracy. Travelers to the region during the 1800s repeatedly commented on the lack of culture, even the lack of books. Southern aristocrats looked down on educated men and felt little need to learn anything not related to raising dawgs and hunting,hunting, growing slaves or crops. They would not allow their sons to learn how to play music or paint. Novelists from the region would publish under an assumed name to escape the disrepute literary achievements entailed. It was precisely the lack of educational opportunity which drove many of the leaders (Madison, Calhoun etc.) to northern colleges.

About two-thirds of those at the Constitutional convention were college graduates and lawyers to boot. Our nation's early leaders were frequently college graduates. Only Washington did not have a college degree of our first six presidents. Jackson didn't but that is likely due to his being an orphan. Until Lincoln almost all non-college graduate presidents were military men. I suspect that most of the Senators and Representatives were college educated as well.

What passed for education for the vast majority of people was an ability to read a little. What passed for learning (other than classical languages and Bible studies) was pretty much laughable and wouldn't get you very far today. As far as true learning or culture went there was very little of it in colonial america or after the revolution until the 1800s.

Since generally only the sons of the wealthy were able to have private tutors (another lie that there was a lot of home schooling it was mainly through private tutors) the movement for public schools led to their establishment in the North but the South wallowed in ignorance until the War made it clear that the lack of education was a major factor in its defeat.

Why does such mythology gain acceptance around here? Our founders do not need ridiculous claims to raise their reputations. It does not discredit them to accurately describe them as highly educated men as most of the leaders were. Particularly when compared to their fellows.

[Sir Gawain]

Email that to the author and if she responds, post it here.

[justshutupandtakeit]

Be my guest. I can't do it now.

[serinde]

What passed for education for the vast majority of people was an ability to read a little. What passed for learning (other than classical languages and Bible studies) was pretty much laughable and wouldn't get you very far today. As far as true learning or culture went there was very little of it in colonial america or after the revolution until the 1800s.

While this may be true, it is limited to the "modern" definition of education - formal schooling. And no, lack of such knowledge wouldn't get you far today. (If such formal schooling actually helps in the first place, today.)

However, consider what the colonials' life was like. As a whole - and esp. away from the "civilized" east coast - mere survival was the priority, not esoterical discussions of music or philosophy.

They didn't have time to sit around in a school for 18 years. Finding food, building shelters, keeping up a house, having and taking care of children (most of which died in the first couple of years), and all the other chores required to stay alive, were much more important than wasting time and effort in a school. Plus, schools weren't all that available in the first place.

Yet these "uneducated" folks were knowledgeable (ie, learned) about the world around them and how to survive in it. They had many crafts and skills that are mostly lost today. While they may not get far in our world, very few of us could manage in their world at all!

[Victoria Delsoul]

In Webster's United States History Book, he has a chapter on the U.S. Constitution. In there is a section with the heading, Origin of Civil Liberty, which contains this: "Almost all the civil liberty now enjoyed in the world owes its origin to the principles of the Christian religion... The religion which has introduced civil liberty, is the religion of Christ and His apostles, which enjoins humility, piety, and benevolence; which acknowledges in every person a brother, or a sister and a citizen with equal rights. This is genuine Christianity, and to this we owe our free constitutions of government..."

Bump.

[Sir Gawain]

Here's April's reply to your post:

I thank you for your response to History of Education. To the best of my knowledge and research my facts are accurate. Your information that you shared perhaps has merit as well. My material did not focus on the illiteracy problem in the south. What I do know is that when I went to school everyone learned to read in the first grade -- it was basic and very easy to accomplish. Today the educational system is broken! In fact it teaches everything but the three R's reading - righting - rithmetic.

April Shenandoah

[justshutupandtakeit]

I will take that as an admission that I am correct and her claim wrt 100% literacy in colonial America false.

Review the rest of the article's claims with that in mind. Can we say agenda-driven?

[justshutupandtakeit]

You won't get any argument about what you posted wrt to life in early America. However, that was not the point of this article or my responses. Telling the truth about our ancestors achievements such as the ability to survive under harsh and unforgiving conditions is important just as important as not telling untruths. Untruths such as they were paragons if virtue, and learning when they clearly were not. The general lack of formal education does not denigrate the achievements of the era rather it makes them even more incredible.

IMHO the Constitution of the United States is the most important political document ever created. Its creation within a nation of limited literacy and education is amazing.

[justshutupandtakeit]

You won't get any argument about what you posted wrt to life in early America. However, that was not the point of this article or my responses. Telling the truth about our ancestors achievements such as the ability to survive under harsh and unforgiving conditions is important just as important as not telling untruths. Untruths such as they were paragons if virtue, and learning when they clearly were not. The general lack of formal education does not denigrate the achievements of the era rather it makes them even more incredible.

IMHO the Constitution of the United States is the most important political document ever created. Its creation within a nation of limited literacy and education is amazing.

[justshutupandtakeit]

You won't get any argument about what you posted wrt to life in early America. However, that was not the point of this article or my responses. Telling the truth about our ancestors achievements such as the ability to survive under harsh and unforgiving conditions is important just as important as not telling untruths. Untruths such as they were paragons if virtue, and learning when they clearly were not. The general lack of formal education does not denigrate the achievements of the era rather it makes them even more incredible.

IMHO the Constitution of the United States is the most important political document ever created. Its creation within a nation of limited literacy and education is amazing.

[justshutupandtakeit]

Sorry about the multiple posts.

[serinde]

IMHO the Constitution of the United States is the most important political document ever created. Its creation within a nation of limited literacy and education is amazing.

I absolutely agree. Now if we can get all our "educated" officials to agree and quit trashing it, this country would be better off.

[justshutupandtakeit]

While my appreciation of the Constitution is unbounded, it is not an easy document to understand and those who say it is either are ideologues who don't comprehend it or those with an agenda which essentially says if I don't like it it is unconstitutional.

Jeffersonian political philosophy severely damaged the national comprehension of the constitution. Thank God there was a man of towering intellectual capacity, John Marshall, to take over from Hamilton as Jefferson's nemisis. This did not prevent the Civil War from flowing from Jefferson's misrepresentations of the meaning of the federal government and its constitutional base.