Opposing Viewpoints Assignment

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Dec 6, 2023

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Opposing Viewpoints Assignment Paul G. Denton HIST 502: Historiography Dr. Vance Kincade October 2023

2 Before the Civil War, colleges were usually reserved for those citizens that could afford the high cost of tuition. Most colleges were private and expensive placing them outside the reach of the common student wishing to attend. If a student had little money to attend a college, he could hope to attend a military academy and owe service to the government, but competition for admission to these colleges was great and many eligible students never were accepted. The Morrill Land-Grant College Act of 1862 opened the world of higher education to the citizens of the United States. Laying a foundation to America’s future, this act gave the states the opportunity to open public colleges that taught other subjects besides the “classics.” Agriculture, mechanics, military science, and art, as well as the classics, were now available to for learning. The Morrill Land-Grant College Act was the backbone to the American higher education dominance in the world today. That is the general history of the act, however over time the historiography of the act has changed. Two historians have very different ideas of the act, with only time between them. The act has changed in what the act is and has accomplished since its inception. The history on the act has changed as well, however in the end the premise is still that the passage of this act was and still is a “good thing.” The issue is that what is being taught currently greatly deviates from what the act was intended, and what it is allowing students to study, is a different question. Historian Robert Clothier explores the historical significance and impact of the land-grant university system in the United States. 1 Clothier argues that the land-grant tradition has played a crucial role in shaping American higher education and has influenced the nation's economic, social, and cultural development, to a degree. Clothier begins by providing a brief historical background on the land-grant movement, which emerged in the mid-19th century. The movement was culminated in the passage of the Land Grant College Act of 1862, which granted 1 Robert C. Clothier, “The Land-Grant Tradition,” Journal of Education 83, no. 5 (1916): 109–15.

3 each state federal land to establish at least one university with a specific focus on agricultural and mechanical arts education. This legislation aimed to democratize higher education and provide practical skills and knowledge to a wider population. The author emphasizes that the establishment of land-grant colleges emerged as a response to the changing needs of American society during the Industrial Revolution. The agrarian society was rapidly transitioning into a more industrialized nation, creating a demand for a skilled workforce capable of adapting to the new challenges and opportunities. The land-grant colleges were specifically designed to address this need by offering practical education that combined theoretical knowledge with applied skills. One of the key aspects of the land-grant tradition romanticized by Clothier is the connection between the universities and local communities. He argues that the land-grant institutions were not meant to be ivory towers detached from the society, but rather cooperative partners actively engaged in addressing the issues and concerns of their communities. 2 Furthermore, Clothier dabbles in the expansion of the land-grant system beyond agricultural and mechanical arts education, however, does not elaborate. He argued that this diversification of academic programs reflects the adaptability and responsiveness of the land-grant tradition to the changing educational landscape and societal needs. For the work being published in 1916, Clothier had good insight into what the act was and could morph to become. American higher education historian Roger L. Geiger, though, provides a comprehensive examination of the history and impact of land grant colleges published in this century. Focus is on an in-depth analysis of how these institutions have influenced American higher education and the broader society over time. While celebrating the achievements of land-grant colleges, contributors in higher education, educational policy studies, and Christian education, Geiger offers an fairly objective and less romantic depiction of the 2 Clothier, “The Land-Grant Tradition,” 111.

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