Education Through the 1700’s

Rahul Gandhi

Intro To American History

Professor Criales

10/15/15

Education Through The 1700’s

        The word Education comes from the Latin root word of “Educare” and “Educere”. The first. meaning to train and to mold and the later meaning to lead out/ Education is a crucial part of American history and the word carries a lot of weight within our American society today. It is treated almost as a necessity and something that is a crucial part of life. The power of education is something that can make someone who is poor a wealthy person and someone wealthy into a beggar. It is one of the only things that can convince an individual to pick up everything and move away to a new country or convince someone to take a massive loan in hopes to earn. Our Society today revolves around education, our laws mandate education for all children and denying a child education results in legal consequences putting those who deny other individuals education in the same category as thieves and tax evaders. This goes to show the importance of education in the society we live in today. It must be considered that this current state has had to have evolved over time and considering that other countries do not share similar takes on education it is easy to see that the values of those who founded America had a focus on Education resulting in the importance it holds today to be so strong and relevant.

        In order to understand how the term Education has progressed throughout the formation of the country, it is crucial to encounter examples from sources that show the mindset of the general people. This progression can show how the Pro Education government ether supported the citizens of the country or influenced the culture of becoming a country that places such a heavy focus on education. Such sources can be found in personal letters, and diaries. One example includes a letter from Sarah Kemble Knight, a business woman and teacher who detailed her transition from Boston to New York.” We observe here the great necessity and benniftt both of education and conversation; for these people have as large a portion of mother witt, and sometimes a larger, than those who have bin brought up in Citties;but for want of emprovements, render themselves almost ridiculos, as above. I should be glad if they would leave such follies, and am sure all that Love Clean House ( at least) would be glad on’t too”( Sarah Kemble Knight, letter, October 3th 1704) In this quote Knight describes right from the start her belief in the necessity and benefits that education can have on a group of people. She further explains how the lack of education is creating groups of people who lack intelligence only have basic values compared to those from the city. Education was not a standard at the time yet education from the point of view of someone that would today be compared to a liberal or modern is hell that is similar esteem as today's society.

        We live in a society where education is a time period that is set out for an individual where it is likely for the first 16 to 22 years of one's life to be purely dedicated towards acquiring an education, today many plan their lives around getting an education and this has impacted society so much individuals who have children at younger ages such as 18 to 22 are in a way looked down upon when it is likely the parents of the individuals had them at a similar age. In the time period of our nation's beginnings one example of a similar thought is from a letter about her daughter Sally from Esther Edwards Burr, she was The wife of Princeton University's president. "I take it kindly that you mention Sally's going to Boston, but shall not lay such a burden on you as her whole education must be but a few years hence if we all are spared. I shall think myself happy and committing her to your care for a season."(Sally Esther Burr, letter, January 31 1757) In this example of day-to-day conversation Burr as a parent is explaining that her child will end up spending years getting her education and she does not want to burden her friend that she is writing to. This is an example of very forward thinking that would later help to find the push towards education our nation has today with an example of not only placing priority on education but also for a woman during a time. When education was not a priority for woman.