Hello and welcome to a history of the United States.

Episode 195, education, Education, Education, Education.

The Americans of the early Republic recognised that if their experiment was to succeed,

it relied on an educated citizenry, aware of both its rights and its duties.

This was in complete contrast to England, where the conservative

aristocracy was fearful of an educated population. However, when the revolution erupted,

education was not widespread. Most schools, as they were, existed in New England. These were typically common schools which were

required to be supported by the local townships. The towns refused to support Latin grammar schools,

which were used to prepare boys for college. In some of the major cities like New York and

Philadelphia and along the coast, religious

charity schools were the most common elementary level of education, but schooling was

left for parents to arrange, where they may hire private tutors.

There were only nine colleges across the colonies, and collectively they awarded fewer than 200 bachelor degrees per year.

Columbia's graduating class of 1789 contained only 10 students.

The collegiate level expanded rapidly following the revolution.

Twenty-four additional colleges were founded by 1815.

Jefferson was heavily involved in state-supported education in Virginia.

He proposed in 1779 a three-tiered system.

All white children, boys and girls, would receive three years of elementary education.

At the next level up, there would be 20 regional academies, which would provide free education to selected white boys.

And then, at the very top, 10 students would be supported at the university

level. However, this was all on paper. Turning it into a reality was a different matter entirely. It took

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