History Of Public Schools

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leaders to the movement for tax-supported public schools has lead to the triumph over opposition from American citizens and has resulted in the expansion of public education.
As time progressed, the need for free public education became more evident. A law was passed giving all adult white males the right to vote, but many of these men were uneducated and lacked the knowledge needed to make an informed decision when voting. It is also known that quite a number of these men were also unable to read and write. “To put the privilege of voting in the hands of ignorant men was to threaten the welfare of the nation.”1 Leaders envisioned public schools not only as a means of basic education, but as a means of training students to “political participation, law-abiding behavior, and responsible community membership.”2
Leaders also felt that the establishment of public schools would promote unity among social classes. The schooling arrangements of children were one of the many factors ...

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They did not see the purpose of everyone receiving an education.
Opposition also arose from religious organizations in many states. These groups had congregated and organized their own private schools and also would not benefit from public schools. Public education would possibly lure away their students and would not provide the religious education they felt children required. They also did not want to provide funding for public schools when their money was already being directed towards to their private schools.
They saw this expense as unnecessary since they would be paying for the education of the children of other families. They did not feel that this burden should be placed ...

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