EDUC Presentation

American Revolution / Industrial Revolution

1750 - 1820

Prominent EventsClassical Era

• The Age of Enlightenment 1750-1800 - This really began to emphasize that reason was key to knowledge. (Logic, Mathematics, Scientific Method). Philosophers had a new world view based on physics. They started applying scientific theories to religion using experimentation, observation, and hypothesis.

Prominent Events

• Industrial Revolution 1760 - This had an economical effect on how the world produced goods. The population went from agricultural to industrial. This caused people to leave their farms and take work in factories. Families required their children to help supplement their income, which lead to a decline in education. This was also a generation that did not experience childhood and was a loss of innocence.

Prominent Events• First edition of the Ecvyladpedia Britanica 1771

• American Revolution 1775 - 1783

• Signing of Declaration of Independence 1776

• American War of Independence 1776

• Bill of Rights 1791

• First Vaccination 1796

• George Washington became the first American president 1798

• Louisiana Purchase 1803

• War of 1812

Prominent Figures in Early Education

• Thomas Jefferson - Stood up for Education. Was quoted saying “I believe that even the common man should benefit from an education” because at that time there were only private institutions and sparse public institutions. He also tried to convince Virginia to fund elementary and secondary schools. Arguably America’s advocate for free public education.

Prominent Figures in Early Education

• Noah Webster - Published his first work in 1783. This eventually became “The Blue Books” that have sold more than 20 million copies nationally. Blue Books were the foundation of today’s ‘Webster’s Dictionary”.

• Benjamin Franklin - Contributed many advances in education and helped open many educational institutions. Founded the Postal Service we still have today. Also made the discovery that lightning is electricity.

Prominent Figures in Early Education

• Horace Mann - Worked tirelessly to get national support for public education. He was heavily opposed by private school owners, taxpayers, rural residents and members of the upper class. They did not believe that public education was in their best interest because as the upper class they were the ones in society that held power. He battled these oppositions and helped form the public education system that we use today.

Key Points

• Curriculum was centered on teaching basic reading and writing skills, math, along with christian principles

• US textbooks had a lot of patriotic and moralistic sayings and were based on the Old and New Testament

• Teaching required memorizing facts, choral responses, and corporal punishment

Key Points

• Education was seen as the tool to establish and promote growth of concept such as freedom, liberty, and democracy to secure the US for generations to come

• Northwest Ordinance of 1785 established a precedent for public financing of Education

• Less than 10% of the population was able to read and write

Key Points

• Benjamin Franklin’s Academy was established in 1751

• “The good education on youth has been esteem by wise men in all ages, as the surest foundation of the happiness both of private families and of common wealths” - Benjamin Franklin