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1635
The first free school in Virginia opens. However, education in the southern colonies is more typically provided at home by parents or tutors. -
1638
Hartford Public High School opens in Hartford Connecticut. It is "the second oldest secondary school in the United States." -
1640
Henry Dunster becomes president of Harvard College. He teaches all the courses himself. -
1690
The first New England Primer is printed in Boston. It becomes the most widely-used schoolbooks in New England. -
1754
The French and Indian War begins in colonial America as the French and their Indian allies fight the English for territorial control. -
1785
The University of Georgia becomes America's first state-chartered university. -
1787
The Young Ladies Academy opens in Philadelphia and becomes the first academy for girls in the original 13 colonies. -
1801
James Pillans invents modern blackboard. -
1821
Boston English High School, one of the first public schools in the U.S., opens. -
1837
Louisville, Kentucky appoints the first school superintendent. -
1839
The first state-funded school specifically for teacher education opens in Lexington, Massachusetts. -
1851
The New York Asylum for Idiots opens -
1855
The University of Iowa is the first state university to admits men and women on an equal basis. -
1869
Boston creates the first public day school for the deaf -
1875
The Civil Rights Act is passed, banning segregation in all public accommodations. The Supreme Court rules it unconstitutional in 1883.