American Education Time-line
-up to 1950-

The time-line of education is closely tied to the time-line of history. Historic events create situations, needs and attitudes. Needs and attitudes of people in each era affect their decisions about education. History and beliefs about the future drive the purpose of education during each time period.


In the following timel-ine, each "era" will begin with a brief description of the time period in history.

It will be followed by an overview of education during that time period.

Finally, specific events and/or people that influenced education during that time period will be listed.


Time Period - Pre-1850: Physical Expansion, Colonization and Westward Expansion

Education Overview:
Education was largely limited to wealthy white males
Wealthy women attended different schools with different curriculum
Education was intended to produce priest/ministers
Education was mostly private or small-scale
Ben Franklin introduced the trade curriculum

1690- John Locke Philosophy: the mind is a blank slate
1770- Thomas Jefferson and Benjamin Frankin stated importance of education for all citizens.
1799- Pestalozzi created the first "elementary school" in Switzerland
1833- First tax dollars given for education in Britain- church and private monopolies broken up
1837- Froebel opended the first kindergarten


Time Period - 1850-1900: Industrial Era: Civil War, Reconstruction, Massive immigration


Education Overview:
Formal education was set up for the general population by most Western governments
Open to women, minorities
Segregated Universal General Education
Early Research (Dewey, Smith)
Social Integration of Immigrants


1852- Massachusetts: first all free public education in US
1880- Darwin's theory of evolution


Time Period - 1900-1950: Progressive Era: Two “World Wars”, Depression, America as the World Power


Education Overview:
Universal Education
Liberal Arts vs Trades “stamp-and-sort” (Production Model of Education)
Project Method
Teacher-Student Planning
Child-Centered, Experience Centered

1910 - First Junior High School
1916 - Dalton Plan influences progressive educators around the world.
1918- Free Educatoin required by all United States
1920 - Urban population grows to exceed rural population.
1920- Montessori
1921- First Study Abroad
1922 - Pope Pius XI claims co-education harmful to Christian training
1926 - Semester at Sea Program
1926 - The Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) is first administered. It is based on the Army Alpha test.
1929 - Jean Piaget's theory of cognitive development influences American education.
1929 - The Great Depression - Public education funding suffers.
1941 - The U.S. enters World War II
1944 - GI Bill of Rights - Millions of U.S. war veterans gain access to higher education.
1946 - The first baby boomer is born - a generation that brought unprecedented school population growth and massive social change.