Higher Education - Pre Civil War

American Education
1812-1865

Higher Education Before the
Civil War

Open Ended

Why was higher education (college or university) not popular during the time period right before the Civil War?

Dartmouth College Case

Dartmouth College was founded by Eleazar
Wheelock, who was succeeded as leader by his son John. John came into conflict with the
college´s trustees and he was removed as
president. In 1816, Dartmouth was converted
into a state university and Wheelock was
restored as president. Some of the trustees
and students filed a suit which went to the
Supreme Court in 1818. John Marshall wrote
the decision - it was decided by the Supreme
Court that a state cannot take over a
university against its will. This decision
established the right for both private AND
state colleges to exist and to solicit (ask for)
grants for support.

Open Ended

What are some private colleges or universities that you know of?

State Universities
and Schools

The best known example was the
University of Virginia, started by
Thomas Jefferson.

Enlightenment - Education should promote social improvement and individual happiness.

Established where ¨no institutions of higher
learning existed¨

Georgia -1785, North Carolina - 1789,
Vermont - 1791, South Carolina - 1801

University of Virginia

The University of Virginia had a lot of academic freedom - professors selected their own textbooks, curriculum was considered liberal compared to other colleges (ancient languages - Greek and Latin, modern languages, mathematics, philosophy, natural history, medicine, law).

Students selected the program they wanted to follow (a major).

Most colleges were very traditional focusing on traditional studies as a foundation for all careers.

State universities continue to be
chartered and expand - Michigan,
Minnesota, Louisiana, California,
Indiana, Kentucky, Missouri,
Mississippi, Iowa, Wisconsin

Open Ended

How did the emergence of state universities in the 1800s affect higher education in the United States? How did opportunities change for Americans?

Technical Schools

With the expansion of the Industrial Revolution, technical schools began to flourish. There was an
increasingly greater and greater demand for people trained in scientific and engineering skills long before universities ever developed programs like engineering - West Point was the only engineering school in the country and could not graduate enough students to fill the needs of the country and there were no universities where people could study practical subjects like agriculture. Technical schools filled these needs.

Adult Education Movement
1826 brought the first lyceum, an organization of men and women who came together for cultural
advancement
1832 National lyceum movement was organized
Lyceums established libraries and public schools

Lyceums encouraged female teachers by providing them greater opportunities to learn and feel empowered as equal

Morrill Act 1857
James Morrill, a congressman from
Vermont, pushed for a bill which would
allow the grant of public lands to the state for colleges that would teach agriculture and mechanical arts (blacksmithing, navigation, etc.)
Senate passed the bill, President Buchanan vetoed it, Congress passed the bill again under Lincoln

Morrill Act granted each state 30000 acres of land for each senator and representative it had in Congress
Land must be used for endowment and
maintenance of one college in each state for the teaching of agriculture and mechanical arts
Some states used the money to develop existing colleges, some created new agricultural and mechanical universities

These universities are now shortened
to A&M (Agricultural and Mechanical)
-> Florida A&M, Texas A&M, Alabama
A&M, etc.

Land grant universities set up by the Morrill Act are numerous and include some of the top
universities and colleges in the
United States (see the map
handout in class).
Colleges like Auburn, MIT, and
Purdue greatly benefitted from
the Morrill Act

Multiple Choice

Law selling public lands to the states if they will establish agricultural and mechanical colleges.

• Morrill Act

• Homestead Act

• Northwest Ordinance

• Dawes Act

Multiple Choice

The Morrill Act of 1862 helped establish

• freedom for all Americans

• Voting polls for minorities

• Public College Education

• Information on Agriculture

Multiple Choice

How many acres were given to each state based on each Congressman?

• 30,000 Acres

• 300 Acres

• 3,000 Acres

• 30 Acres

Multiple Choice

Which of these was NOT a study of education in the Morrill Act?

• Agriculture

• Engineering

• Medical

• Military tactics