How Did Benjamin Rush Sought To Create An American Culture

Classical Republicans saw moral education as a necessity in order for the citizens, of usually smaller and less diverse republics, to engage in civil discourse with their fellow citizens and above all else to obtain proper habits that would encourage the common good of the republic. The Natural Rights philosophers, in correspondence with their treatises that stress the importance of the individual, their inalienable rights, and equality amongst humans, saw education as a necessity in order for the populace of any given government to be equally equipped for participation in the societal welfare of the people in case of a tyrannical government. This stress on education in the Natural Rights philosophy would also lower the chance of an abusive and tyrannical government from arising due to Locke stating the right to revolution if and only if the needs of the populace are not being fulfilled by the existing political system. The founders were inspired by both groups to put an importance on education and a greater importance on preparation for citizenship as they saw it a necessity for the populace to be informed so a decision over legal matters could be agreed upon however, despite the inequality in our

Kaestle wrote the founding fathers believed that education would prepare men to vote intelligently and prepare woman to teach their sons properly (1983, p. 95). Kaestle used an example of how a school official in Vermont mentioned that teachers stamped characters on children and molded them for the places the teachers thought they would fill, whether as a political figure or in prison; they were scaffolding (1983, p. 81). This mindset mirrored an ideology the Protestant culture enforced. There was also mentioning of the republican machine, which was a person who was intelligent and free but would subject himself to the whim of the government and do things for the common good (1983, p. 79). Kaestle argued that government in education was paramount in order for people to become the virtuous citizens they were meant to

Spearheaded by Horace Mann, the movement sought to make free public schools much more effective and longer in terms, to offer teacher training and higher pay, and to expand into a more challenging curriculum. Mann’s philosophy revolved around the concept that education is the most necessary part in a democracy because it is the only way to protect it. The people vote for the various positions in government and in order for the United States to have great leadership and to become a great and powerful nation, the people must be educated. Textbooks, like Reader and those by Noah Webster, exposed children to lessons of patriotism, morality, and idealism. William H. McGuffey, the writer of Reader, believed that public schools made education accessible and affordable for all people in the country (Doc. E).

America was founded after we declared independence from England. There were many reasons why we left england but the major issue was that we had no representation in the government. We felt our natural rights of liberty was being violated by our government so we declared independence so that we could make our own country. When the founding fathers wrote the Constitution, they made sure that the government was there to protect our natural rights and that they had no power to deny us of those rights. This idea of the government protecting those rights created by John Locke during the Enlightenment. This idea had a major role in why we left england and how we formed our country.

Horace Mann was an early 18th century politician and a visionary in the area of education reform. He is credited as the person responsible promoting the belief that education not only be free, but should be available to all. Horace Mann’s concept for equality in education ensures “that everyone receives an education that will allow them to compete for wealth on equal terms.” (Spring, 2014 p. 58.)

The four founding’s of American consist of the first founding, the civil war, the New Deal, and the sexual liberation and personal deconstruction. The first founding presented the combination of the spirit of religion and the spirit of liberty which had been fundamentally opposed in other countries. The founders felt that the spirit of liberty was the manly and lawful passion for equality. The practice of liberty was particularly important because it taught people how to govern themselves.

During this period, the most influential person dealing with educational reform was Horace Mann. Horace Mann believed that “education was the only way to ‘counterwork this tendency to the domination of capital and the servility of labor’” (Brinkley

Though the altercation may seem recent, standardized testing had been in use for centuries. In imperial China, citizens were required to write poetry and essays about philosophy when applying for a government job. Similarly, Gutenberg’s invention of the printing press drastically increased the usage of written assessments in parts of Europe, in the 1400s. However, standardized testing had only been added to America’s public education curriculum recently. After the Revolutionary War, numerous education reformers pushed for the government to have a greater role in the lives of American students, which sparked the Common School Movement. Horace Mann, the Secretary of Education at the time, believed that education was a fundamental right and that

After America had achieved its political independence and established a structured government, Americans started using their freedom and making order in politics. The search for a national identity connected with nearly every part of the American life. The Americans developed a sense for literature, art, and music. The practice of medicine and medical care progressed and became more professionalized. Religious sects that had connections to the colonial era declined. The Second Great Awakening arose across the country. Technology expanded and began taking on American contributions.

A question most fascinating to me is where in history does the first hint of American ideals and identities originate from? If we were to look at where the fiery passions of an American identity first arise we have to look to where the colonists first fought for their right to be a recognized citizen of America. American colonists formed their identity through the ideas of liberty, resistance to unfair British jurisdiction, and cultural diversity. Their identities formed between the Seven Years War and the American Revolutionary War as these two events deeply brought out what the colonist’s ideals were and what they fought for so passionately. Between these years 1763 and 1775 we see the first American ideals being born in the colonies. An example of such ideals is the want and need for Liberty. A reason for wanting liberty was that British control suppressed the lives of the people living in America and over time grew harder for colonists to live with. Americans are revered to have a passionate patriotic view of their country and this is true as it is seen throughout history but in my research I will try to explain where these ideals first arose.

Thomas Jefferson recognized the necessity for education as a form of national improvement. Like roads and canals, schools would unite and improve the nation, but this improvement is greater than roads. Jefferson writes in 1786,

The American identity was built from the ideas about democracy, freedom, and individualism in the colonial period. For example, the belief in the phrase, “no taxation without representation” led to the desire for participation in government and representation that equally represented the people. The colonists feared a dictatorship and this caused the colonists to decrease the amount of power the federalist power has. Once they discovered this would not answer their problem, they developed a system that balanced power called checks and balances. The ideas of the Enlightenment motivated people to question anything they felt was wrong and changes people’s views on culture, religion and politics. People wanted to have freedom and owning land allowed them to have some freedom and power. These principles became the basic idea of the American identity.

All these ideas were very much in the air in America and no one represented them better than Benjamin Franklin. With Benjamin Franklin as its spokesman, eighteen-century America experienced an age if enlightenment, of reason and order like England and Europe.

Education reformers sought to expand equality by increasing educated people. Not only were poor children able to attend school instead of working in factories, but the deaf, mute, and blind could now be taught. Men such as Thomas Gallaudet and Dr. Howe sought to create new methods for the disabled to read and write. Education for everyone greatly increased the sense of equality among lower class citizens. Document E gives an example of a little boy who is content with what he has since he works hard and goes to school. He doesn’t feel disadvantaged by being poor. Equality improved the moral of many Americans.

First and foremost, the American Educational System has received numerous advocates offering crucial inputs on education from centuries ago up to the present time. Even so, with focus, shining on past advocates, three well-known men who are still receiving constant acknowledgment for their ideas and contributions regarding the system. Notably, Dewey, Man, and Jefferson all share major impacts, alike and unlike, resulting in significant effects on the American Educational System.