Part I: The Common School 1770 to 1900

 Division or Unification?

Part 1 of School: The Story of American Public Education discussed the development of common school systems in America. From what I have read, I would argue that despite the attempts to unify the people, public education ended up dividing the United States and causing several conflicts. During our group meeting, my classmates and I brought up the fact that despite Thomas Jefferson arguing that “all” Americans be educated, there were still groups of people that were excluded. On page 22, Jefferson said that “the survival of the democracy depended on educating all Americans.” This was a step to bring citizens together and educate them; however,  several Americans refused to get an education and instead focused on work and industries. 

Another reason why I would argue that the early years of education divided America is that the rise of common schools also created a rift in society because of religion. During the 1800s, immigration numbers increased. By 1840, half of New York City was filled with immigrants. Many of the immigrants that arrived were Irish Catholics who hoped to receive an education. The problem was that although public schools were free, they were Protestant. Horace Mann, an educational reformer, stated that everyone should read the same Bible and have the same prayers. This pushed Protestant beliefs on the Catholic immigrants, thus causing a conflict in religion and school. If they wanted an education, they had to attend public schools where Protestant prayers were said and where textbooks had anti-Catholic and anti-Irish content. 

In New York, St. Patrick’s Cathedral protested and many refused to send their children to a school full of bias. The people wanted funds to set up their own schools and this debate was plastered in several newspapers. People were so distraught by the thought of giving other religions education funds and as a result, some people retaliated. In 1844, a Catholic church in Pennsylvania was burned, killing thirteen people. This was called the Philadelphia Bible Riots. The image below is an illustration that was found in the newspapers following the event. 

Eventually, the people agreed to remove offensive passages from their textbooks and the New York City Board of Education was created. But another crucial dilemma regarding the division of the country and education was the issue of race. Before the Civil War, several African Americans living in the South had no access to education. African Americans that lived in the North were allowed to go to school, but they were segregated. The division of the United States was prominent in education systems because many believed that certain races had no right to go to the same schools or there was a division due to race. It wasn’t until the late 1900s that we saw an end to segregation and even then, there was pushback. Education has shaped the lives of the American public. First and foremost, there was a shift in focus from industrial work to schools. This allowed us to maintain our independence while also helping us elect our leaders. 

 How School Shaped Me

Like most people, I have spent most of my life attending school. My education has played a large role in my development and it has influenced my goals, beliefs, and behavior. I would claim that school taught me how to be resilient and taught me how to interact with others. Since I attended public schools, I was able to meet people from several different countries. This gave me a basic understanding of other cultures. Most importantly, it taught me to respect those that have different beliefs and backgrounds. The school environment became a place for me to learn how to interact with other people. Even now, I think of school as an opportunity to learn more about others. It helped me develop perseverance and organization, and it taught me how to be responsible.


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