Factors Assisting the 19th Century Crusade for Common Schools Enlightenment thought, especially notions of natural rights, social justice and progress, and the problems of ensuring political equality. The need of nationalist governments for an educational structure that would produce literate, critically-minded citizens who could make wise choices about democratic governance. Nationalist governments also look to schools to cement the fabric of new nations together by offering schooling in a national language, literature, geography, and values. The emerging social and political doctrine of Liberalism and the spirit of social, economic, governmental, and educational reform it embodied. The secularization of society and the declining authority of the Christian churches.
Industrialization requires a more literate and obedient workforce.
Urbanization requires some agency to supply care for children once supervised by families in rural and agrarian settings. Immigration from Europe on a large-scale means that some agency must be empowered to to assist in socializing immigrant children, to teach them English, and to give them the social tools to survive in a new country. Industrialization and urbanization leads to new concerns about health and hygiene. Click HERE to go back to Readings List.