Education and Literacy in the late 1800s

The Progressive view of education: A way to “lift all classes of people into … civilized life” Training for employment and (in the case of immigrants) for citizenship Because of the 2nd IR, the country’s economic development was dependant on scientific and technological advances that required an education (Danzer 282)

Education In the early 1800s, few children had access to education Students who did attend left within 4 years; very few went to high school and most learned only basic reading, writing, and math 1865 - 1895 states began passing “compulsory education laws” required parents to send children to school At first only for 12 – 16 weeks / year for children 8 to 12 years old (Danzer 283). Kindergartens began as a type of daycare for lower class working mothers. 200 kindergartens in 1880; 3000 in 1900 (Danzer 283).

Education Expands From 1870 – 1900 the number of students in school grew from 7 million to 15 million (Boyer 205). By 1900, ½ million attended high school (Danzer 283). High school curriculum included science, civics, and social studies, advanced math Opportunity for young women: in 1900, 60% of all high school graduates were female (Boyer 205).

Education Expands Number of colleges and enrollment grew; 1860s there were 500 colleges; by 1900 1,000. Enrollment went from 50,000 to 350,000 (Boyer 205). Because many universities were open to white males only: Women’s colleges open including Vassar, Barnard and Radcliffe. Harvard and Radcliffe combine, but not until the 1970s! 1865 –African Americans began universities like Howard, Atlanta U. and Fisk (known as “Historically Black Colleges and Universities HBCU)

Reformers wanted schools that taught more than the basics: John Dewy’s “Laboratory School” at the University of Chicago emphasized learning by doing (Boyer 205)

Segregation in Education Segregation was legal Schools for African Americans, Asian Americas, and Hispanics were poorly equipped (Boyer 205). In 1880, 62% of white children attended elementary school; while only 34% of African American children did (Danzer 283). In 1890, less then 1% of African Americans attended high school; by 1910, 3% attended (Danzer 284).

Education for Immigrants Immigrants were encouraged to attend school—to “Americanize” In protest of public schools reading mandatory readings from the (protestant) King James Version of the Bible, Catholics often set up parochial school to gain a Catholic education Parochial School: a school supported by a church parish Adult immigrants attended night school to learn English and to qualify for American citizenship

(New York City)

Literacy Literacy: the ability to read and write. The expansion of public education made literacy more common in the daily lives of Americas By 1900, nearly 90% of Americans could read (Boyer 207) – Today it is close to 99% Advances in publishing technology make newspapers, magazines, and books less expensive and more available New cheap paper can withstand high speed printing Electricity powered printing press worked like an assembly line Newspaper prices drop to 1 cent

% of over 14-year-olds who were illiterate Total Pop. White Black and other Native Foreign-born 1870 20.0 – 79.9 1880 17.0 8.7 12.0 70.0 1890 13.3 6.2 13.1 56.8 1900 10.7 4.6 12.9 44.5 1910 7.7 3.0 12.7 30.5 1920 6.0 2.0 23.0 1930 4.3 1.6 10.8 16.4 1940 2.9 1.1 9.0 11.5 1947 2.7 11.0 U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of the Census, Historical Statistics of the United States, Colonial Times to 1970; and Current Population Reports, Series P-23, Ancestry and Language in the United States: November 1979. http://nces.ed.gov/naal/lit_history.asp Percentage of persons 14 years old and over who were illiterate (unable to read or write in any language), by race and nativity: 1870 to 1979 For the later part of this century the illiteracy rates have been relatively low, registering only about 4 percent as early as 1930. However, in the late 19th century and early 20th century, illiteracy was very common. In 1870, 20 percent of the entire adult population was illiterate, and 80 percent of the black population was illiterate. By 1900 the situation had improved somewhat, but still 44 percent of blacks remained illiterate. The statistical data show significant improvements for black and other races in the early portion of the 20th century as the former slaves who had no educational opportunities in their youth were replaced by younger individuals who grew up in the post Civil War period and often had some chance to obtain a basic education. The gap in illiteracy between white and black adults continued to narrow through the 20th century, and in 1979 the rates were about the same.

(Aguilar)

Works Cited Boyer, Paul and Sterling Stuckey. The American Nation. Austin: Holt, Reinhart, and Winston, 2001. Danzer, Gerald. The Americans. USA: McDougal Littell, 2007. “School-house no. 37, Eighty-seventh St., near Fourth Avenue.” The New York Public Library. 2002. 26 September 2005. http://digital.nypl.org/mmpco/searchresultsK.cfm?&trg=3&strucID=448293&dstart=1&NUM=0&title=School%2Dhouse%20no%2E%2037%2C%20Eighty%2Dseventh%20St%2E%2C%20near%20Fourth%20Avenue%2E&keyword=public%20schools “Aguilar Free Library, School dep't, 616 Fifth St” The New York Public Library 2002. 26 September 2005.http://digital.nypl.org/mmpco/searchresultsK.cfm?&trg=2&image_id=806009&title=%5 BAguilar%20Free%20Library%2C%20School%20dep%27t%2C%20616%20Fifth%20 St%2E%5D&strucID=448075&dstart=1&keyword=public%20schools&NUM=0 “New York City : a fire-escape drill : training the pupils in a public school to effect a quick and orderly exit in case of emergency”. The New York Public Library. 2002. 26 September 2005. http://digital.nypl.org/mmpco/searchresultsK.cfm?&trg=2&image_id=809659&title=New%20York%20City%20%3A%20a%20fire%2Descape%20drill%20%3A%20training%20the%20pupils%20in%20a%20public%20school%20to%20effect%20a%20quick%20and%20orderly%20exit%20in%20case%20of%20emergency%2E&strucID=448303&dstart=1&keyword=public%20schools&NUM=0