The role of Protestant education in shaping the public education system in the United States of America at the turn of the 20th century in the context of American history and culture

Abstract

As some of the earliest settlers in New England, the Puritans had a tremendous impact on shaping the American education system, especially the development of colleges. Their religious and social beliefs were the foundation on which elite universities in the United States of America were built. The curricula of the first public schools and universities were strongly rooted in the humanities and theology. The purpose of teaching at the time was strongly linked to the Puritan belief in the importance of education for understanding the Scriptures. Puritans, but also Quarians, Baptists, Calvinists, Presbyterians and other Protestants laid down a model of teaching based on discipline, hard work and intellectual development. Thus, the role of the teacher, who controlled the student’s progress and his adherence to moral principles, was essential. In the course of time and under the influence of the action of, among others, other currents of Protestantism, especially under the influence of liberal Protestantism including the activities of W. Gladden or W. Rauschenbusch, who, within the framework of the “gospel of love,” conducted a dispute with the “old school” Presbyterianism. One of the effects of this change was the secularization of education in the US, which fostered the spread of democratic values andthe formation of civil society. This resulted in the spread of education among previously excluded groups, i.e. women and migrants. Yet the practical view of education strongly dominant in Protestant thought was and still is an important element distinguishing education in the United States of America from other educational systems in the world, along with the spread of the idea of democracy and the building of civil society.