This document provides a history of the influences on American education from the 1700s to the 20th century. It describes how education was originally primarily the responsibility of states and religious groups. Over time, compulsory public education expanded due to advocates like Horace Mann who argued education benefits society. Debates emerged around the purpose of education and different philosophies like vocational training versus classical education. Major 20th century influences included Brown v. Board of Education, which desegregated schools, and Sputnik, which increased the focus on academics and national defense. Progressive influences from philosophers like John Dewey also remained important. Ongoing debates around curriculum, standards, and accountability continue today.

1. History of American
Education – Chapter 7
Ebert, E., & Culyer III, R. (2014). History of American Education. In
School: An introduction to education. Belmont: Wadsworth.

2. Early Influences
• Education is dynamic – ever evolving and ever changing
• American education is strongly influenced by ancient Greeks, Romans,
and Western European influences
• Liberal arts education continues to be a focus of American education
• Education in America has been strongly influenced by social issues of
each century
• Regional differences have always been part of American education
• In the 1700s, early schools emphasized a practical education, but
traditional (or classical) curriculum regained momentum after the
Revolutionary War.

3. 1700s – 1800s
• Education was sometimes available for African- and Native
Americans, but usually by religious groups.
• Education is primarily the responsibility of the states, but the federal
government has influenced education throughout history
• Movement towards an educated populace for purposes of supporting
a democratic government opened the doors for Jim Crow, Plessy v
Ferguson and other discriminatory laws.
• McGuffey Readers influenced character and moral virtues during the
mid-1800s
• Common schools (publicly supported) schools appeared in the 1800s

4. Education Advocates
• Booker T. Washington advanced education for African Americans
through a conciliatory approach
• W. E. B. Dubois supported the notion that a “Talented Tenth” of
African Americans should aspire to be leaders in society. He was one
of the founders of the NAACP
• Horace Mann – encouraged educating all children; he argued that an
educated populace was beneficial economically and to society in
general
• Compulsory education was in all states by 1930

5. Education Debates
• In the late 1800s and early 1900s, various philosophies were
emerging
• Should education be primarily vocational to train workers or should
school offer a more classical training?
• It is through these type debates and discussions where explicit,
implicit, null, and extra curricular decisions are made.
• John Dewey and the Progressivist Educational movement emerge in
the early 20th century
• Land-grant colleges emerge following the Morrill Act of 1862

6. 20th Century Education Influences
• Sputnik (1957)– changes in the schools related to concerns about
national defense and emerging Cold War
• Brown v. Board of Education (1954) –
• Federal government categorical funding influenced some programs,
but schools are still the responsibility of each state
• John Dewey’s influence that school should be relevant to a child’s life
with a movement towards affective focus as opposed to a cognitive
focus.
• Maria Montessori emphasized developmentally appropriate
education (what has happened???)

7. 20th Century Influences (cont.)
• Following WWII, there has been a movement back towards academic
rigor, especially following the launch of Sputnik
• Progressive influences remain
• New federal government involvement with National Defense
Education Act, Head Start, and many education laws that resulted
following the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s (think PL 94-142
that became the Education for All Handicapped Children Act)
• Continuing debates and controversies – Back to basics, teacher
accountability, testing, STEM and STEAM, single-gender classes and
schools, Common Core, No Child Left Behind. . .