Horace Mann.

Early Schools

 

      Prior to the popularization of public schools in the 1800s, most higher education schools served religious purposes. They were usually private and offered education to become ministers, popes, or other religious figures. Elementary schools during the time were one room houses located every 3-4 miles in populated areas. The children differed from first to eighth grade, with teachers being as young as 14 years old. A typical school day lasted around 6 hours, and focused on math, english, geography, and even Greek and Latin. The school year depended on the farming season, and how much the kid's parents needed them to do work. For Horace Mann, a 10 week school year was normal for him.

     Teachers often came from out of town, so they stayed with a local family. Sometimes, the teacher would live in a different house every week. Teachers required no special training or education, so the student's learning was greatly influenced by the teacher's knowledge of the subject. 

    In the 1700s, schools were less common. Instead of learning from a teacher at a designated house, children learned to read and write at home using only a bible and a hornbook. A hornbook is a wooden paddle with the alphabet, syllabols, and often a prayer. The government encouraged parents to teach their children these basic skills so that they could become acceptable citizens. After learning to read and write, girls would learn from their mothers how to cook, sew, and take care of the family, while boys woud learn a skill like carpentry or farming.

     Antebellum America swelled with reform movements, religious awakenings, and an overall want to better the country. This spread to Horace Mann, who strived to change education in Massachusetts. He believed that children should not have opportunities taken away from them because of a lack of good, nonprivate, and nonsectarian education.