Early American Education and Early Education Laws

1186 Words3 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Education in the 1880s america

“The philosophy of the ____schoolroom______ in one generation will be the philosophy of ____goverment________________ of the next.”

– Abraham Lincoln

EARLY AMERICAN EDUCATION

Harvard Started by the Congregationalist, Harvard was founded as a school that trained men for the ministry of being a pastor (Barton, (2004)). Its philosophy was “Christ and the church and to the glory of God” (Barton, (2004)). This school produced great men such as Cushing, Pickering and many more that would lay a Godly foundation for education (Barton, (2004)).

Yale Started by the Congregationalist, this too was founded as a school to train men for the ministry (Barton, (2004)). This school produced men that signed the Declaration of Independence as well as the Constitution of the United States of America (Barton, (2004)). This school knew and practiced the belief that God’s Word was of utmost importance in education.

Princeton Started by the Presbyterians to train men for the ministry of being a pastor (Barton, (2004)). Students were expected to attend church, read the Bible and participate in religious activities (Barton, (2004)). The school was the first to train African American men in relation to the ministry. (Barton, (2004)).

EARLY EDUCATIONAL LAWS

1642 Old Deluder Satan Act According to Barton, this Act required public school education to be found on God’s Word in all communities so that children would receive an education based on God’s Word. This Act would not only be an important foundation for American education but as bases on foreign nation’s education. This was also an important Act because children received a Biblically based education they were able to recognize when a law went against God’s Word.

...

... middle of paper ...

...cation. He also uses the textbooks to show that Biblical principles were used everyday in the classroom. I believe that David Barton’s perspective of education accurately portrays the Biblical principles that our founding fathers based education on. Barton uses resources such as the 1642 Old Deluder Satan act, the 1787 Northwest Ordinance, the New England Primer and McGuffey Reader as basis for proving that the Bible is to be used in educating our children. Each of these incorporated knowledge, morality and religion into every aspect of education so that schools could produce students who would lead according to God’s Word.

References:

WallBuilders. (2004). Four Centuries of American Education with David Barton [DVD]. Aledo, TX.: Wallbuilders.

Gutek, G. L. (1995). A history of the western educational experience. Prospect Heights, Ill: Waveland Press.

Show More
Related

  • Amanda Porterfield Essay

    601 Words  | 2 Pages

    Conceived in Doubt by Amanda Porterfield was a good book overall, Porterfield talks about Christianity and its role in the American government in the 1700’s. The overall impression on the book is that Porterfield had written it very well. Porterfield gave a lot facts that accompanied many of her main ideas throughout her book. Amanda Porterfield is a scholar who had gone to Stanford University. Her passions for early American history came from many of her teachers. The purpose of the book was to inform the reader of how religion is connect to early American history starting in the

    Read More

  • Horace Mann Analysis

    1387 Words  | 3 Pages

    This practice certainly left some students without specific representation in a time when denominational clashes were commonplace. Additionally, Mann’s new system of central school board control over appropriate curriculum books and material took local decision making power and commandeered it, taking along with it the power of local influence within the arena of formal education. This was perhaps the most extreme measure against democratic procedure and social mobility, and was considered later to be an attempt at hindering basic social liberties. “We object also to the sanction of the school board because it is an approach to a censorship of the press.” (Brownson, O. 1840). Censorship in schools showed students nationwide only what the centralized board deemed appropriate, however this method was not practical at a local level, from either a social or economic

    Read More

  • Jefferson's Struggle for Religious Freedom: The Unseen Revolution

    983 Words  | 2 Pages

    During the ensuing fight for independence during the American Revolution, Jefferson looked to the future and for a way of securing religious freedom as well. The growing dissent against the Anglican Church, by groups like Presbyterians and Baptists, found new numbers thanks to the Great Awakening, which raised religious zeal and succeeded in converting many people away from the Church of England. At least, the dissenters of the Anglican Church in Virginia had their growing numbers behind them at the start of the war, which they used to try and leverage full religious freedom for war support. Though they were partially successful in gaining some reform in marriage laws and tax reductions, they failed to gain full freedom from persecution, so Jefferson drafted a Bill for Establishing Religious Freedom, which failed to gain any traction in the Virginia State Assembly. The Assembly had a few issues related to the idea of full freedom of religion, which would allow the justification of any behavior no matter how depraved, but also the way Jefferson framed his argument using Enlightenment principles; His preamble read: “the opinions and belief of men depend not on their own will, but follow involuntarily the evidence proposed to their minds,” which the assembly

    Read More

  • The Age of Reform

    1122 Words  | 3 Pages

    Different ideas were being expressed through The Second Great Awakening. The religious focus was now turning to God’s mercy and benevolence, which sparked other beliefs and ideas. People started believing that they could control their own fate. Worship services consisted of singing hymns and personal testimonies to make it more emotional. Many found religion as a soft comfort during the difficulties of this time period. Charles Finney was one of the most effective evangelists of the time. He entertained and edified, preached on conviction, repentance, and reformation (DOC B). The belief that parents could contribute to their child’s salvation led women to want to spiritually educate their children. Spiritually educating led to the belief that education was important. Schools were started to educate children while they were young. Many lower-class families had to go to high extremes to put their children in school. Children were needed to help work in the homes, but families saw that education was important, and they would allow their children to attend half a day or more of schooling (DOC E). Religion and education was becoming better known throughout society. America saw they needed to apply higher principles to gain benefits of the highest physical, intellectual, and moral education in order to be a gre...

    Read More

  • Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 and Outcome Based Approach Education 1997

    3147 Words  | 7 Pages

    Reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965(ESEA) policy was implemented in the United States in order to desegregate schools in the 20th century as a result of civil rights movement. During the Jim Crow law era, separate, but equal law was implemented which hindered the development of African American communities and one of the areas that suffered as a resu...

    Read More

  • It's Time to Bring Back Religion and School Prayer in Public Schools

    1837 Words  | 4 Pages

    From the beginning of American government, state and legal papers, such as the Northwest Ordinance and state constitutions, were threaded with religion. In addition, many of the more eminent men who signed the Constitution, Bill of Rights, and other important documents clarified their intent. John Witherspoon, as quoted by David Barton in The Works of John Witherspoon, said: " What follows from this? That he is the best friend to American Liberty, who is most sincere and active in pro...

    Read More

  • Stop Literary Censorship

    1575 Words  | 4 Pages

    Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances (Daniels 9-10). This means freedom. . .freedom for whatever reasons, but it's freedom. People are trying to take the freedom of choosing, choosing what books we each want to read, away.

    Read More

  • inequity in education

    1170 Words  | 3 Pages

    Nothing can more effectually contribute to the cultivation and improvement of a country, the wisdom, riches, and strength, virtue and piety, the welfare and happiness of a people, than a proper education of youth, by forming their manners, imbuing their tender minds with principals of rectitude and morality, [and] instructing them in...all useful branches of liberal arts and science. (Hochschild & Scovronick, 2003).

    Read More

  • Sizes Run Small: Reduce Class Sizes to Increase Opportunities for Student Success

    2035 Words  | 5 Pages

    Education in America has existed as long as the nation itself. In fact, education began before Americans even landed in America—before the name “America” was commonplace, before the thirteen colonies emerged, before anyone had any thought to inscribe the words “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” English Puritans taught their children long division and cursive script while sailing across the rough waters on the Mayflower (“Colonial Education”). To distract young minds from the treacherous hurl and break of the Atlantic waves, parents encouraged the group to recite their Bible verses and name the twelve apostles (“Colonial Education”). There were only a few children aboard, about “20 adolescents, mostly boys,” but their importance superseded their numbers (“Children on the Mayflower”). The survival of the children “was of great importance to the survival of the Plymouth Colony,” so their parents invested great effort in their education. Once on land, schooling flourished from the confines of the ship to the vastness of unexplored territories and unlimited time. Eighteenth century colonial Separatists built small one-room schoolhouses devoted to religious studies, the wealthy Federalists of the nineteenth century formed English Grammar Schools to discipline future politicians, and twentieth century middle-class urban dwellers pushed for public education buildings amidst the bustle of city factories (“Early National Education”). As the people recognized a growth in population, they also recognized a growing value to schooling and learning. The nation flourished and expanded, and so did its educational system.

    Read More

  • Benjamin Franklin: An Inspirational Self-Made Man

    1491 Words  | 3 Pages

    ...ls. He says, ."..their Aim seeming to be rather to make us Presbyterian than good Citizens." (Pg. 94) Franklin felt as though individual study should be emphasized over dogma.

    Read More

  • Philosophy of Christian Education

    1350 Words  | 3 Pages

    The statement “philosophy of Christian education” contains much information to be unwrapped. The term philosophy literally means, in the Greek, “love of wisdom.” In this case, the study of philosophy involves a “critical study of the basic principles and concepts of a particular branch of knowledge” (Philosophy). My understanding of Christian education is what I hope to unveil in this brief document. A high-quality education of children must embrace a student’s intellect, spiritual nature, social life, emotional growth, and physical health. I see evidence for this in scripture as Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man (Luke 2:52). The goal of education should be the training of children, in every area of their life, for adulthood. What makes my philosophy of education different from the secular world is the distinctively Christian biblical worldview. It is this biblical worldview that sets apart Christian education from the public schools in our culture because we address the spiritual dimension of children that the secular humanistic education denies.

    Read More

  • The Myth Of A Christian Nation Analysis

    260 Words  | 1 Pages

    I have a book entitled the Faiths of the Founding Fathers. (Notice the term faith's' as opposed to faith). Many people do not realize that many of the men who are behind the establishing of America, as a nation, believed according the principles of Deism and Unitarianism rather than the Bible.

    Read More

  • Christian Education Essay

    2066 Words  | 5 Pages

    A philosophy of Christian education encompasses many aspects that overlap areas of a child 's life that could not be nurtured and molded in a public school setting. Therefore, the Christian philosophy of education must include so much more. The Bible must be used as the basis for the education of children. A child should be taught in a way that will best benefit the individual that God created. He should be trained in his own way, the way he learns best. In order to do that, teachers must be able to assess their students in a manner that will reveal the learning styles that best fit each child. By doing this, the best possible education can be given to each student. Proverbs 22:6 states, "Train up a child in the way he should go..." The ways

    Read More

  • Education and Religion

    1616 Words  | 4 Pages

    Shortt. (1997, June). Christian Education Does Mean Something. Retrieved January 20, 2012, from Transforming Teachers: www.transformingteachers.org

    Read More

  • Mission and Vision Statement

    901 Words  | 2 Pages

    Pike, B., & Bradley, F. (1997). The philosophy of teaching: Developing a statement that thrives in the classroom. Clearing House, 70(3), 125. Retrieved October 6, 2011 from http://library.gcu.edu:2048/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=9703092460&site=ehost-live&scope=site

    Read More

More about Early American Education and Early Education Laws

Open Document