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First free school
The first "free school" in Virginia opens. However, education in the Southern colonies is more typically provided at home by parents or tutors. -
The Young Ladies Academy
The Young Ladies Academy opens in Philadelphia and becomes the first academy for girls in America. -
Requirement for public high schools
The state of Massachusetts passes a law requiring towns of more than 500 families to have a public high school open to all students. -
New England Asylum for the Blind
The New England Asylum for the Blind, now the Perkins School for the Blind, opens in Massachusetts, becoming the first school in the U.S. for children with visual disabilities. -
The african institute
The African Institute (later called the Institute for Colored Youth) opens in Cheyney, Pennsylvania. Now called Cheyney University, it the oldest institution of higher learning for African Americans. -
Department of education
The Department of Education is created in order to help states establish effective school systems. -
Howard University
Howard University is established in Washington D.C. to provide education for African American youth "in the liberal arts and sciences.” -
Plessy vs Ferguson
Homer Plessy, a 30-year-old African American, challenges the state of Louisiana's "Separate Car Act," arguing that requiring Blacks to ride in separate railroad cars violates the 13th and 14th Amendments. The U.S. Supreme Court upholds the Louisiana law stating in the majority opinion that the intent of the 14th Amendment "had not been intended to abolish distinctions based on color." Thus, the Supreme Court ruling in the case of Plessy v. Ferguson makes "separate but equal" policies legal. It -
Brown v Board of Education
On May 17th, the U.S. Supreme Court announces its decision in the case of Brown v. Board. of Education of Topeka, ruling that "separate educational facilities are inherently unequal," thus overturning its previous ruling in the 1896 case of Plessy v. Ferguson. Brown v. Board of Education is actually a combination of five cases from different parts of the country. It is a historic first step in the long and still unfinished journey toward equality in U.S. education. -
No Child Left Behind
The controversial No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) is approved by Congress and signed into law by President George W. Bush on January 8, 2002. The law, which reauthorizes the ESEA of 1965 and replaces the Bilingual Education Act of 1968, mandates high-stakes student testing, holds schools accountable for student achievement levels, and provides penalties for schools that do not make adequate yearly progress toward meeting the goals of NCLB.
