American Education Vs Colonial Education

The past four centuries have been filled with the evolution of education. From colonial to modern times education has played an important role in everyday life. While America was developing, attending school was believed to improve one as a citizen as it was good for their soul and community. Now attending school is necessary. Subjects taught in school during the eighteenth century have changed when compared to modern teachings. The subjects taught also depended on where in the country you were. Schools first appeared in New England Colonies, those were elementary schools with usually one room. Puritans created public schools to keep adolescents busy and proper. When a town reached around fifty families, a school would be built and reading
and writing would be taught. As the town expanded subjects like grammar and latin would also be included in the system so students would be better prepared for universities. Students would often read and rewrite bible verses as practice since paper was rare. “The first elementary textbook appeared in 1690. The New England Primer claimed to have taught millions to read and not one to sin. A total of 3 million copies were printed. The content was based on similar primers from England and presented information in a religious setting. The New England Primer was used in some schools until the 1840s” (Watts, Tim). Private schools often focused on religious works and home skills while public schools taught more challenging topics as they were supervised.