The Story of School: Episode 1 1800-1900

Abstract:
The beginning of public education began during this time period. The two biggest figured to push for public education were Thomas Jefferson and Horace Mann. Jefferson believed that all of America's citizens needed to be educated or else we would never be able to maintain our freedom. Mann believed that schools should be open to the public and be free so that even the poorest children may attend. Neither of these men liked the idea that up until this point your family's status determined where you would end up in life. They dreamed of a world where men could be anything they wanted. During this time period schools were improved on to make them a more suitable teaching environment, women began to receive more education as the teaching profession became available to them as a means to support themselves until they got married, slavery ended and thus African Americans were allowed to receive an education for the first time, the first attempts at desegregation took place and failed, and then later schools began to respond to the growing necessity of teaching a growing population of immigrants.

Reflection:
I agree with Thomas Jefferson that all citizens need to be educated in order to ensure that we will forever keep our freedoms. If people do not understand how dear freedom is then they are less willing to fight to keep it. I was surprised to learn that an attempt at desegregation was made so soon after slavery was ended. I had never known that before. Although, I am a little upset that women were sought after to become teachers because they were considered to be cheaper than men, I do appreciate the attempt to give women some type of work. This movement made it ok for women to seek a higher education. It also gave them a way to take care of themselves. I think they should have been making the same amount as men though. There is no reason for a woman to be making less money and I wonder why they thought it was ok to do so. I was also fairly fascinated to learn that Catholic schools were made in response to school environments that were offensive to Irish Americans and Catholics. I don't understand why schools felt it would be ok to teach any faith. It just seems like a private part of a person's life to me.