Colonial Era to 1980s

Introduction

We begin this anthology by providing a brief overview of American education history. This reading presents the evolution of American education from the colonial to modern era. Although it covers a large span of history, it shows how education evolved from religious and civic purposes to more capitalistic ones. What we see from the reading is that the needs of society have shaped the development of American education. Interestingly, issues that shaped education in the past continue to be relevant in the present. Key figures who have shaped American education (e.g., Thomas Jefferson, Horace Mann, Johann Herbart, William James, Edward Thorndike, John Watson, and B.F. Skinner) are also discussed in this reading.