Public Education PLS 201 (3 Pages 1438 Words)

Public educationhas been an important part of our country throughout history. After the Declaration of Independence, fourteen states had their own constitutions by 1791. Seven of those states had specific provisions regarding education. Thomas Jefferson was one of the first American leaders to suggest a public school system. He believed that education should be under the control of the government, available to all people regardless of their status in society, and free from religious biases. Before the 1840s, the education system was only available to the wealthy. However, many reformers wanted all children in the United States to receive the benefits of education. Two reformers, Horace Mann and Henry Barnard created the...