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1500
Dame schools
Dame schools also existed in the colonies. Students were taught by women in their own homes. Parents paid a fee for their children to attend. Such schools were open to both boys and girls. -
Quaker schools
Cultural groups developed their own schools. The Quakers, a religious group from England that settled around Philadelphia, believed that everyone should be educated and were tolerant of others' religious beliefs. Quaker schools were open to girls, African Americans, and Native Americans. -
Law requiring school
As early as 1642, Massachusetts enacted a law requiring every town to establish a school, although towns did not always follow this law -
Benjamin Franklin
Curious about everything, Franklin experimented with all sorts of scientific concepts, from electricity to the common cold. He believed that understanding science helped people understand people and societies. He loved to read, and wanting others to have this opportunity, Franklin began the first public library. -
Thomas Jefferson
Thomas Jefferson was the third president of the United States, one of the most brilliant individuals in history. Jefferson introduced legislation to divide counties in Virginia into smaller districts that were responsible for education - a public system of education -
Starting secondary school in Philadelphia
Benjamin Franklin started a secondary school, or academy, in Philadelphia that offered a broad range of subjects, including practical ones. The school was open to anyone who could pay tuition and attend, regardless of the religious beliefs. -
School Curriculum
Schools continued to teach the basics of reading, writing, and math, along with Christian principles and citizenship. Students also learned Greek, Roman, and English history, and now American History, as well. -
Horace Mann
Horace Mann served as the first secretary of the State Board of Education in Massachusetts. Mann worked hard to establish free, public, education for every boy and girl in Massachusetts. He believed that everyone had the right to an education. -
University of Virginia was founded
One of Thomas Jefferson's major educational achievements was the establishment of the University of Virginia. -
Common Schools
The first public state-supported schools were called common schools, giving the same education to people from different levels of society. This was the doing of Horace Mann. -
Normal school and women
Often, teacher salaries were very low. It was not that education was not valued, but running schools was very expensive, and people had little money to spare. More women enrolled in normal schools and entered the teaching profession. This provided an opportunity for them to make a living on their own. -
African-American schools
Educated African-Americans set up schools. Some northern churches sent missionaries to the South to start schools. It was then that the first African-American colleges were founded, including Howard University and Spellman College for women. -
Kindergarten was established
Fredrick Froebel, a German educator, developed the idea of kindergarten. He believed that young children learned best through play. Although his ideas were not widely adopted in Germany, American educators were interested in his concept.
