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Progressive Era
The Progressive Era was a period of widespread activism and reform across the United States. It lasted from the 1890s to the 1920s. The Efficiency Movement, which included support for scientific management, was one of the central themes of this era. Scientific management influenced education theorists such as Bobbitt and Charters. -
Peak of European Immigration to U.S.
In 1907, 1,285,349 persons entered the country. By 1910, 13.5 million immigrants were living in the United States. Source: Immigration to the United States (n.d.). In Wikipedia. Retrieved September 6, 2015, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Immigration_to_the_United_States -
Addams - The Public School and the Immigrant Child
Addams' work a Hull House was directly affected by the increase in immigrants to Chicago. Her writings on education were then informed by her work at Hull House. Addams' advocacy for increased awareness of the immigrant condition was related to the peak in European immigration in 1907, -
Montessori, A Critical Consideration of the New Pedagogy in its Relation to Modern Science
Montessori was influenced by the recent rethinking of the medical (1910) and legal (1900) fields. These fields were professionalized through the work of focused committees who created national standards and standardized training. Montessori also encouraged a more modern rethinking of education, one informed by Progressive ideals. -
Henry Ford introduces assembly line at Ford Motor Company
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17th Amendment to U.S. Constitution is Ratified
This amendment provided for the direct election of United States Senators, thereby expanding citizens' role in government and making the Senate branch more responsive to citizen concerns. As citizens increased their role in choosing leaders, they also needed more education to make informed choices. -
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Rise of Labor Unions
Labor unions grew rapidly in response to the increased mechinization of industry and the calls for reform from Progressives. By the end of the 1910s, some unions had been colored by their association with the Communist party and expanded fears of the Soviet Union. As a result, unions slowly lost membership through the 1920s and 1930s. -
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World War I
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Great Migration of African Americans to Northern Cities
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U.S. Enters WWI
The United States entered World War I following the sinking of the Lusitania and the interception Zimmermann Telegram, in which Germany encouraged Mexico to join the war against the U.S. -
Bolsheviks take control of Russia
The Bolsheviks successfully took control of Russia, creating the Soviet Union and installing a Marxist-Leninist government. These ideas spread around the world, often in opposition to the growth and increased mechanization of industry. The workers councils, or Soviets, appealed to labor unions in the U.S., igniting fears of impending communist revolution in the U.S. -
Bobbitt - Scientific Method in Curriculum-Making
Bobbitt proposed a curriculum that prepared children by focusing on the needs for adult life in the existing social and economic order. His ideal curriculum did not consider individual interests, nor did it encourage experimentation or exploration outside of the proscribed objectives. This was likely informed by the assembly line system, as it intended to prepare all children by giving them a set list of principles to prepare them all the same. -
19th Amendment to U.S. Constitution is Ratified
This amendment gave American women the right to vote. As with the 17th Amendment, expansion of voting rights necessitated improvements in civic education. -
Scopes Monkey Trial
John Scopes, a substitute teacher in Tennessee, was accused of violating the state's Butler Act, which prohibited the teaching of evolution in the state. Scopes was found guilty and fined $100. The case highlighted the debate between Fundamentalists and Modernists over the teaching of evolution in schools. This debate continues today. -
Bobbitt, Twenty-Sixth Yearbook of the National Society for the Study of Education
Bobbitt contradicts his earlier belief that education must focus on future needs by saying, "Education is not primarily to prepare for life at some future time. Quite the Reverse; it purposes to hold high the current living.... In a very true sense, life cannot be 'prepared for.' It can only be lived."
Source: Kliebard, H. M. (2013). The rise of scientific curriculum-making and its aftermath. In D. J. Flinders & S. J. Thornton (Eds.), The curriculum studies reader (pp. 69- 78). New York: Routle -
Bode - Modern Education Theories
Bode's criticisms of Bobbitt and Charters were influenced by his era. The 1920s were a period of rapid social change and increased opportunities for wealth. Thus, Bobbitt's survey of skills and knowledge to prepare children for adulthood today would have become quickly outdated. In the 1920s, successful adults were more diverse in their training, skills, and knowledge. -
Dewey - My Pedagogic Creed
Dewey's progressive philosophy reflected the reformist themes of the Progressive Era. As democracy and personal freedom expanded in the U.S., Dewey's emphasis on critical thinking was more appropriate that it had been under Taylorist notions of scientific efficiency. In addition, there were more opportunities for individual success during this period, so Dewey's more student-focused philosophy was appropriate for the era. -
Wall Street Crash of 1929
"Black Tuesday" was the beginning of the decline of U.S. equities markets, which contributed to the Great Depression that gripped the nation's economy in the 1930s. George S. Counts' essay, Dare the School Build a New Social Order?, was influenced by the Great Depression and the overall decline in American wealth spurred in part by this event. -
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The Great Depression
The Great Depression started in 1929 and continued throughout the 1930s. It was a worldwide phenomenon prompted by the failure of global financial markets, a credit crunch in the U.S., increased global trade protectionism, and large decreases in GDP around the world.
The resulting economic difficulties influenced George S. Counts' work, Dare the School Build a New Social Order? -
Counts - Dare the School Build a New Social Order?
Counts was influenced by the contemporaneous economic depression in the U.S., as well as the socialist-communist ethos that pervaded certain segments of society at the time. He also criticizes the spread of machines at a time when men were unable to find work. -
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The New Deal
President Franklin Roosevelt's New Deal programs provided hope and basic survival for millions of Americans during the Great Depression.
