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 UNITED STATES. ]

E D U C

A T I O N .679 Brooklyn in 1853, Chicago and St Louis in 1854, and the States and devoted to education. The portion of the Philadelphia in 1883. In general, it may be said that the public domain so set apart amounts in all to 86,138,473 progress of public education in the United States is marked acres, or 134,591 English square miles. This is an area by (1) compulsory schools, (2) compulsory licensing of than those of the six New England States, New teachers, (3) compulsory school attendance, and (4) com- greater York, New Jersey, Maryland, and Delaware added topulsory school supervision, and by the increasingly efficient gether. It is a portion of the earth’s surface as great as administration of these provisions. The compulsion comes the kingdom of Prussia, about seven-tenths as great as in each case from the State government, which alone, in France, and considerably greater than the combined areas the American system, has the power to prescribe it and to of Great Britain (including the Channel Islands) and the enforce it. Each one of the 45 States is therefore an kingdom of Holland. Besides the enormous grants of independent educational unit, and there is no single land in aid of education, the national government has uniform American system of education in any legal sense! maintained since 1802 a military academy at West Point, In fact, however, the great mass of the American people New York, for the training of officers for the army, and are in entire agreement as to the principles which should since 1845 a naval academy at Annapolis, Maryland, for control public education; and the points in which the the training of officers for the navy. It has also taken policies of the several States are in agreement are greater, charge of the education of the children of uncivilized both in number and in importance, than those in which Indians, and of all children in Alaska. It has voted, by they differ. _ An American educational system exists, there- Act of 1887, a perpetual endowment of $15,000 a year fore, in spirit and in substance, though not in form. for each agricultural experiment station connected with a Neither in the Declaration of Independence nor in the State agricultural college, and, by Act of 1890, an addiConstitution of the United States is there any mention tional endowment of $25,000 a year for each of the National lj eno ^uca ^on-. founders of the nation were agricultural colleges themselves. The aggregate value of means policy. y indifferent to education, but they land and money given by the national government for shared the common view of their time, which education in the several States and Territories is about was that the real responsibility for the maintenance of $300,000,000. schools and the expense of maintaining them should fall > In 1867 the Congress established a bureau of educaupon the several local communities. The relation of tion, presided over by a Commissioner who is under the government to education was not then a subject of ordin- jurisdiction of the Secretary of the Interior, ary consideration or discussion. Later, when this question the purpose of which is declared to be to Bureau of did arise and the power of taxation was involved, the collect “ such statistics and facts as shall show educationseveral States assumed control of education, as it was the condition and progress of education in the several necessary that they should do. Nevertheless, from the States and Territories, and of diffusing such information very beginning the national government has aided and respecting the organization and management of school supported education, while not controlling it. This policy systems and methods of teaching as shall aid the people dates from 13th July 1787, when there was passed the of the United States in the establishment and mainfamous “ Ordinance for the Government of the Territory tenance of efficient school systems, and otherwise promote of the United States North-West of the River Ohio,” the cause of education throughout the country.” The meaning the territory north and west of the Ohio river bureau has therefore no direct power over the educational now represented by the states of Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, policy of the several States. It has, however, exercised a Michigan, Wisconsin, and the eastern side of Minnesota, em- potent influence for good in its advisory capacity. Up to bracing more than 265,000 square miles of territory. This 1900 this bureau had published 360 separate volumes and Ordinance contains this declaration : “ Religion, morality, pamphlets, including 31 annual reports, covering from 800 and knowledge being necessary to good government and to 2300 pages each. These are standard works of reference, the happiness of mankind, schools and the means of and are distributed gratuitously in large numbers to libraries, education shall for ever be encouraged.” The Ordinance school officials and other persons interested, and to foreign of 1787 also reaffirmed the provisions of the so-called Governments. The several commissioners of education Land Ordinance of 1785, by which section No. 16 in have been: Henry Barnard of Connecticut, 1867-1870; every township (a township consists of 36 numbered John Eaton of Ohio, 1870-1886; Nathaniel H. R. Dawsections of one square mile each), or one thirty-sixth of the son of Alabama, 1886-1889; William T. Harris of Massaentire North-West Territory, was set aside for the mainten- chusetts, 1889 to date. ance of public schools within the township. The funds In the United States the sovereign powers are not all derived from the sale and lease of these original “ school lodged in one place. Such of those powers as are not lands ” form the major portion of the public school endow- granted by the Constitution to the national stat ment of the States formed out of the North-West Territory. government are reserved to the States respect-J0te«The precedent thus established became the policy of the ively, or to the people. The power to levy meats and nation. Each State admitted prior to 1848 reserved taxes for the support of public education has educationsection No. 16 in every township of public land for been almost universally held to be one of the powers so common schools. Each State admitted since 1848 (Utah reserved. The inhabitants of the several local communities, being an exception, and having four sections) has re- however indisposed they may have been to relinquish served sections No. 16 and No. 36 in every township of absolute control of their own schools, have been compelled public lands, for this purpose. These national grants of to yield to the authority of the State government whenever land in aid of common schools amount to 67,893,919 acres. it has been asserted, for except under such authority no In addition, the national government has granted two civil division—county, city, township, or school district— townships in every State and Territory containing public possesses the power to levy taxes for school purposes. lands for seminaries or universities. These grants amount Moreover, since the exercise of State authority has unito 1,165,520 acres. A third land grant is that made in formly improved the quality of the schools, it has usually 1862 for colleges of agriculture and the mechanical arts; been welcomed, not resisted. In general, it may be said this amounts to 9,600,000 acres. The sum total of these that the State has used its authority to prescribe a three land grants is 78,659,439 acres, to which there must minimum of efficiency which schools and teachers must be added various special grants made from time to time to reach, and it enforces this minimum through inspection