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Erasmus declared in The Education of a Prince that in order to have a successful ruler who is competent and confident in his power, one must be educated. To receive this most prized education Erasmus claimed that a teacher was required. The main idea was that government officials needed proper education in order to have a well maintained, working society.
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In 1642 Massachusetts passed ground breaking laws that required states to send legislators to citizen's homes to regulate their childrens' educations. The main focus was that children were taught to read and write well enough to understand secular laws. It ended up failing because the laws were not as strict as they had hoped for.
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It was believed that Puritans should be taught religion because if they were not, they were more apt to follow Satan. In 1647, more firm laws were placed that children should be taught how to read and write to understand religion, therefore they would follow God's teachings. Teachers were paid, and taxes were higher to pay the educators.
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In 1816, infant schools debuted in America. Women teachers would teach children ages 4-7. These schools were more of a home type setting, and focused on flourishing the childrens' minds. This type of schooling was later revived as Kindergarten.
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The first public high school originated in 1821, in Boston. This school was free and aimed to teach young men the skills they needed to succeed in a profession. College was not required. English was the only language taught, and this school replaced the traditional Latin School.
