This timeline summarizes important events in the development of the American education system from 1821 to 1896. It shows the opening of early normal schools which trained teachers, the establishment of state boards of education, the spread of public high schools and normal schools, and key court cases and laws that shaped education, including the Morrill Land Grant College Act and Plessy v. Ferguson decision supporting separate but equal schools.

1. MY TIMELINE First (private) normal
Horace Mann becomes
secretary of board of
education in
school opens in Massachusetts.
Vermont.
He helped create
Reverend Samuel Hall
established this the board of
education and
normal school. This became its secretary,
private school
Emma Willard’s Troy a postion similar to
provided elementary
Female Seminary today’s state First kindergarten Kalamazoo case
school graduates with
opens, first endowed superintendient of (German language) in (legalizes taxes for high
formal training in
secondary school for. schools. United States schools)
teaching skills.
1821 1821 1823 1827 1837 1839 1855 1862 1874 1896
Plessy v. Ferguson
First public high school Massachusetts First public normal Supreme Court
opens in Boston requires public high school in Lexington, Morrill Land Grant decision supporting
schools Massachusetts College Act racially separate but
equal schools.
Segregation became
a legally sanctioned
part of the American
way of life.
By: Hallie Reagan