The Morrill Act of 1862 established land-grant colleges in each state to teach agriculture, home economics, mechanical arts, and other practical skills, changing the focus of higher education from educating clergy to advancing society through research and teaching. This led libraries at land-grant universities to develop collections supporting applied sciences and individual student inquiry over memorization. Studies have found land-grant university libraries often received less financial support than other university libraries, though they generally grew substantially between 1870 and 1960 and paralleled other land-grant institutions.