This article is missing information about history from 1960 onward. Please expand the article to include this information. Further details may exist on the talk page.(March 2021)
The movement for compulsory public education (in other words, prohibiting private schools and requiring all children to attend public schools) in the United States began in the early 1920s. It started with the Smith-Towner bill, a bill that would eventually establish the National Education Association and provide federal funds to public schools. Eventually it became the movement to mandate public schooling and dissolve parochial and other private schools.[1] The movement focused on the public's fear of immigrants and the need to Americanize; it had anti-Catholic overtones and found support from groups like the Ku Klux Klan.[2]
The movement gained some legislative attention when a 1920 Michigan referendum for compulsory public education received 40% of the vote.[3] In 1922, Oregon passed a similar referendum. Eventually this law was challenged and unanimously struck down by the U.S. Supreme Court in Pierce v. Society of Sisters.[4]
The movement experienced a post–World War II revival when some Americans began to fear the power of the Catholic Church and wanted to ensure public funds were not finding their way to parochial schools.[5] Some compared parochial schools to segregation and accused them of hindering democracy.[6]
In the 1920s, the idea of compulsory public education gained traction in various states, largely as a reaction against parochial schools. The Ku Klux Klan supported the movement.[2] In Michigan the movement achieved a referendum on the subject in 1920, but won less than 40 percent of the vote.[3] In Oregon a similar measure, the Compulsory Education Act, passed in 1922. Campaigning for it, the Ku Klux Klan "circulated a tract that pictured a grinning, torch-wielding Catholic bishop triumphantly departing from a burning public school house whose teacher rang the school bell one last time as he lay dying in the vestibule, mourned by crying children".[7]
After World War II some progressives, such as The Nation editor Paul Blanshard, became concerned with the power of the Catholic Church. They did not want it to receive public funds via its schools.[5] Some scholars[who?] have argued that the 1947 Supreme Court decision Everson v. Board of Education, which affirmed that the legal doctrine of separation of church and state also applied at the state and local government levels, was motivated by anti-Catholic feelings. That opinion was authored by Justice Hugo L. Black, who was an admirer of Blanshard.[10]
Some progressives compared parochial education to racial segregation. "You cannot practice democratic living in segregated schools," said one Columbia professor, referring to Catholic schools.[11] At a debate at Harvard Law School, a Methodist bishop called parochial schools un-American.[12] In 1952, prominent educators openly attacked "nonpublic schools" at a convention of public school superintendents in Boston. They were following the lead of their own president and of Harvard's president, James B. Conant.[13]
^Harvard law school forum, public aid to parochial education. 1951. p. 32.
^Fine, Benjamin (1952-04-09). "Dual School Rise Is Attacked Anew". The New York Times.
Sourcesedit
McGreevy, John T. (2003). Catholicism and American Freedom. W.W. Norton.
Ross, William G. (2001). Pierce After Seventy-Five Years: Reasons to Celebrate. University of Detroit Mercy Law Review.
Tyack, David B. (1968). The Perils of Pluralism: The Background of the Pierce Case, Am. Hist. Rev.
February 15, 2024
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This article has multiple issues Please help improve it or discuss these issues on the talk page Learn how and when to remove these template messages The neutrality of this article is disputed Relevant discussion may be found on the talk page Please do not remove this message until conditions to do so are met March 2021 Learn how and when to remove this template message This article may be confusing or unclear to readers Please help clarify the article There might be a discussion about this on the talk page March 2021 Learn how and when to remove this template message This article s factual accuracy is disputed Relevant discussion may be found on the talk page Please help to ensure that disputed statements are reliably sourced March 2021 Learn how and when to remove this template message This article is missing information about history from 1960 onward Please expand the article to include this information Further details may exist on the talk page March 2021 Learn how and when to remove this template message The movement for compulsory public education in other words prohibiting private schools and requiring all children to attend public schools in the United States began in the early 1920s It started with the Smith Towner bill a bill that would eventually establish the National Education Association and provide federal funds to public schools Eventually it became the movement to mandate public schooling and dissolve parochial and other private schools 1 The movement focused on the public s fear of immigrants and the need to Americanize it had anti Catholic overtones and found support from groups like the Ku Klux Klan 2 The movement gained some legislative attention when a 1920 Michigan referendum for compulsory public education received 40 of the vote 3 In 1922 Oregon passed a similar referendum Eventually this law was challenged and unanimously struck down by the U S Supreme Court in Pierce v Society of Sisters 4 The movement experienced a post World War II revival when some Americans began to fear the power of the Catholic Church and wanted to ensure public funds were not finding their way to parochial schools 5 Some compared parochial schools to segregation and accused them of hindering democracy 6 Contents 1 First wave 1920s 2 Second wave 1945 1960 3 See also 4 References 4 1 Notes 4 2 SourcesFirst wave 1920s editIn the 1920s the idea of compulsory public education gained traction in various states largely as a reaction against parochial schools The Ku Klux Klan supported the movement 2 In Michigan the movement achieved a referendum on the subject in 1920 but won less than 40 percent of the vote 3 In Oregon a similar measure the Compulsory Education Act passed in 1922 Campaigning for it the Ku Klux Klan circulated a tract that pictured a grinning torch wielding Catholic bishop triumphantly departing from a burning public school house whose teacher rang the school bell one last time as he lay dying in the vestibule mourned by crying children 7 In Pierce v Society of Sisters 1925 the U S Supreme Court unanimously struck down Oregon s law 4 The decision was widely hailed by progressives such as the presidents of Yale University and the University of Texas the Journal of Education John Dewey and the National Education Association 8 However other progressives including future Supreme Court justice Felix Frankfurter criticized the decision as unwarranted judicial activism 9 Second wave 1945 1960 editAfter World War II some progressives such as The Nation editor Paul Blanshard became concerned with the power of the Catholic Church They did not want it to receive public funds via its schools 5 Some scholars who have argued that the 1947 Supreme Court decision Everson v Board of Education which affirmed that the legal doctrine of separation of church and state also applied at the state and local government levels was motivated by anti Catholic feelings That opinion was authored by Justice Hugo L Black who was an admirer of Blanshard 10 Some progressives compared parochial education to racial segregation You cannot practice democratic living in segregated schools said one Columbia professor referring to Catholic schools 11 At a debate at Harvard Law School a Methodist bishop called parochial schools un American 12 In 1952 prominent educators openly attacked nonpublic schools at a convention of public school superintendents in Boston They were following the lead of their own president and of Harvard s president James B Conant 13 See also editCompulsory education Education in the United StatesReferences editNotes edit Slawson D 2005 The Department of Education Battle 1918 1932 University Of Notre Dame Press a b Hamburger Philip 2002 Separation of Church and State Harvard University Press a b Ross pp 443 50 a b Pierce v Society of Sisters 1925 pp 268 510 a b Blanshard Paul 1949 American Freedom and Catholic Power Beacon Press pp 140 McGreevy p Ross p 452 Tyack pp 74 and 82 Felix Frankfurter Can the Supreme Court Guarantee Toleration The New Republic June 17 1925 at 85 McGreevy p 185 McGreevy p 186 Harvard law school forum public aid to parochial education 1951 p 32 Fine Benjamin 1952 04 09 Dual School Rise Is Attacked Anew The New York Times Sources edit McGreevy John T 2003 Catholicism and American Freedom W W Norton Ross William G 2001 Pierce After Seventy Five Years Reasons to Celebrate University of Detroit Mercy Law Review Tyack David B 1968 The Perils of Pluralism The Background of the Pierce Case Am Hist Rev Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Compulsory public education in the United States amp oldid 1173346230, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
