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At this time, it was believed becoming literate and knowledgeable was a great service to religion. This is the beginning of education becoming more important.
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Discussions about religion’s connections to education began. Religious beliefs of different groups, including Puritans and Pilgrims greatly impacted education.
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The Puritans established the college because they believed preparing educated leaders was essential.
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If a Massachusetts town was comprised of 50 or more families, this law required them to establish a school. The schools were for educating men and eventually women. At this time, education was still voluntary, intended to supplement livelihoods, and families determined how much schooling was needed.
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Connecticut enacted a similar decree requiring schools. This further instilled the importance of a formal education.
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Isaac Newton and John Locke were two of the many people who influenced a shift that focused less on religion and more on reason and scientific discovery. This led to many science based courses we have now.
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Massachusetts had 23 schools.
Virginia had 8 schools.
New York had 11 schools.
This shows how the need for education is growing and the idea of furthering education for men and women is spreading to other areas. -
The college was started in Connecticut to train religious leaders. This assisted in pushing the literacy envelope a little further and helping the need for education to grow.
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More colleges were stressing the importance of literacy for reading religious texts. With more emphasis placed on literacy, more people had the opportunity for an education.
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Female teachers began educating younger children. The fact that some teachers are now female speaks to the emphasis placed on literacy and how the idea of educating everyone is continually growing. The time frame is 18th century, so the year listed is an educated guess.
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Princeton University was opened in New Jersey to train religious leaders. Although the focus was religion, having more opportunities for education eventually trickled down to others.
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With the signing of the Declaration of Independence and the war, education's importance was once again stressed. Education was now broadened to include women and certain racial minority groups. Women had to fill the roles men normally comprised due to the way. They were then viewed as a vital resource. This had enormous implications on changes that continued through out history to assist in providing a free, appropriate education to everyone.
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Jefferson proposed his Bill for the More General Diffusion of Knowledge. This bill was his plan for establishing publicly supported schools in Virginia. Having publicly supported schools would ensure education became available for everyone.
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The Manumission Society opened its school to reform and control the poor. The curriculum utilized by the school was comprised of Protestant religion and morality. The school provided African American children with access to education at a time when many were still enslaved or recently emancipated. This was a great step towards empowerment for them.
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The Northwest Ordinance called for the sale of federal lands to support education, even though it was not considered an important function of government. This highlighted the role of education in national development and government.
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Benjamin Rush opened the Female Academy in Philadelphia. This was a pivotal moment in advancing women's education and promoting gender equality in education.