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The Mayflower arrives at Cape Cod
The Mayflower arrives at Cape Cod, bringing the "Pilgrims" who establish the Plymouth Colony. Many of the Pilgrims are Puritans who had fled religious persecution in England. Their religious views come to dominate education in the New England colonies. -
The first "free school" in Virginia opens.
However, education in the Southern colonies is more typically provided at home by parents or tutors. -
The first Latin Grammar School (Boston Latin School) is established.
Latin Grammar Schools are designed for sons of certain social classes who are destined for leadership positions in church, state, or the courts. -
Harvard College
the first higher education institution in what is now the United States, is established in Newtowne (now Cambridge), Massachusetts. -
The Massachusetts Bay School Law is passed.
It requires that parents ensure their children know the principles of religion and the capital laws of the commonwealth. -
John Locke publishes his Essay Concerning Human Understanding
John Locke publishes his Essay Concerning Human Understanding, which conveys his belief that the human mind is a tabula rasa, or blank slate, at birth and knowledge is derived through experience, rather than innate ideas as was believed by many at that time. Locke's views concerning the mind and learning greatly influence American education. -
John Locke's Some Thoughts Concerning Education is published
John Locke's Some Thoughts Concerning Education is published, describing his views on educating upper class boys to be moral, rationally-thinking, and reflective "young gentlemen." His ideas regarding educating the masses are conveyed in On Working Schools, published in 1697, which focused on the importance of developing a work ethic. -
The War of 1812
sometimes called the "Second War of Independence," occurs for multiple reasons, including U.S. desires for territorial expansion and British harassment of U.S. merchant ships. The war begins with an unsuccessful invasion of Canada by U.S. forces. Though the Treaty of Ghent, signed on December 24, 1814, supposedly ends the war, the final battle actually takes place January 8, 1815 with U.S. forces defeating the British at New Orleans. -
Horace Mann becomes Secretary of the newly formed Massachusetts State Board of Education
A visionary educator and proponent of public (or "free") schools, Mann works tirelessly for increased funding of public schools and better training for teachers. As Editor of the Common School Journal, his belief in the importance of free, universal public education gains a national audience. He resigns his position as Secretary in 1848 to take the Congressional seat vacated by the death of John Quincy Adams and later becomes the first president of Antioch College. -
Massachusetts enacts the first mandatory attendance law.
By 1885, 16 states have compulsory-attendance laws, but most of those laws are sporadically enforced at best. All states have them by 1918.
