Founding Zealots Summary

The author Thomas W. Hagedorn wrote the book Founding Zealots: How Evangelicals Created America’s First Public Schools, 1783-1865. Which tells how evangelical ministers won the very difficult battle to start America’s public schools and, in the Epilogue. It also exposes the disturbing reasons why other historians have told a very different and inaccurate story. Hagedorn begins to tell his view of American public schools and how evangelical purposes were established during this era. Horace Mann’s role as the founder of our public schools is a myth. Surprisingly, he found that most historians have ignored the Christian philosophy, motives, and leaders that laid the foundation of that vital institution. Hagedorn discovered that the teaching of
religion and morality was commonplace, not only in Ohio's first government schools, but all across 19th century of America. The evangelicals, many of them devout ministers and missionaries, started the schools primarily to promote Christian evangelism and discipleship. Hagedorn emphasizes the role of Midwestern evangelical Calvinist pastors and laymen who emphasized Bible-reading and moral teaching in the schools they created.