Horace Mann Beliefs

Horace Mann was an American advocate for public education, born May 4, 1796 in Franklin, Massachusetts and died on August 2, 1856 in Yellow Springs, Ohio. He grew up in poverty, hardship, and self denial, with his father dying when he was just thirteen-years old and was educated for a brief period of time and at very poor standards, (Britannica School.) Despite his poor education, Mann went on to attend Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island, graduating top in his class and studied at Litchfield, Connecticut School of Law. Mann pursued a career of law and settled in Dedham, Massachusetts for the majority of his life. In 1830 Mann married Charlotte Messer, however she died two years later in 1832, (Hawthome in Concord by Philip McFarland.)He then married Mary Tyler Peabody 1843 and had three sons, Horace Mann Jr., George Combe Mann, and Benjamin
He believed that one room school houses should be eliminated and children should have a proper education taught by well trained and professional teachers. In addition to his beliefs, Mann had six fundamental propositions regarding his thoughts on proper education and the benefits of it. These propositions included, a republic cannot be ignorant and free, that education should be paid for, sustained, and controlled by the interested public, schools should embrace children of all religious, social and ethnic background. The three other propositions being, schools should be free of religious and sectarian influence, education must be spread by spirit, method, and a discipline free society which prevent harsh pedagogy(teaching practice) in classrooms, and too much community control will result in and improper education. Mann was relatively politically active and participated in the House of Representatives from 1827-1833, served in the Massachusetts senate