Deck 3: School As a Public Institution: The Common-School ERA

Question 1

In your opinion, what did Horace Mann mean when he called education the "balance wheel of the social machinery"? Explain how demographic and economic developments affected Mann's ideas.

Answer 1

No answer

Question 2

How did westward migration impact American nationalism in the early 19th century? How did the natives react to it? Explain why schooling was perceived as a way of solving all the problems caused by migration.

Answer 2

No answer

Question 3

Orestes Brownson challenged Horace Mann's interpretation of the state's role in protecting social and economic harmony via education. He believed in the right and duty of the local school district to determine "the selection of teachers, the choice of studies and of books . . . all that pertains to the methods of teaching and the matters to be taught or learned . . ." How are both Mann's and Brownson's arguments being employed today in education and over what kinds of issues? How can understanding the past help us understand and act in the present? Where do you stand on federal versus state versus local control of schools?

Answer 3

No answer

Question 4

Analyze the "Irish problem" in terms of 19th century American ideology and political economy and discuss the merits and/or weaknesses of Horace Mann's call for the common schools to solve this "problem." Think about the tensions of the common-school era and compare them to the tensions of today. Do you see any parallels in our contemporary system of education?

Question 5

Clearly, the inadequacy of school facilities, both in terms of educational resources and physical facilities, as well as our social acceptance of these inadequacies, has plagued the American school system since the beginning. On the one hand, we as a society say we value education, yet on the other hand, we as a society fail to demonstrate this "valuing" as illustrated by our tolerance of this historical problem. How can we explain, and address, this phenomenon?

Question 6

How do the physical, environmental, and resource-related challenges of schools in Mann's time parallel the challenges schools, teachers, and students experience today, particularly in urban or low-income schools?

Question 7

What is the human capital theory, and why is it significant to understanding this chapter?

Question 8

Horace Mann saw the teacher's role as that of an exemplar of moral behavior and went so far as to suggest that teachers should prevent violations of moral law by inculcating a moral state of mind in their students. How responsible do you think teachers today can and should be with their students, especially those thought of as coming from "at risk" backgrounds?

Question 9

The idea of educating the "citizen" was central to Horace Mann's educational ideals. Discuss Mann's concept of the "citizen" and show how it was reflected in his educational proposals.

Question 10

The commitment to public schooling in the Massachusetts Bay Colony was driven in part by

A) a religious view of the public good.
B) an economic view of the public good.
C) a legal view of the public good.
D) All of these answers are correct.

Question 11

To the early settlers, literacy was important because

A) children could assist illiterate parents in social and economic matters.
B) it would combat Satan's attempts to recruit followers from the ranks of the uneducated.
C) it was a necessary requirement for land ownership.
D) None of these answers is correct.

Question 12

In the 1830s, public schools were characterized by

A) abundant curricular resources.
B) dilapidated buildings.
C) highly qualified teachers.
D) None of these answers is correct.

Question 13

Which of the following did Horace Mann support during his career in the Massachusetts legislature?

A) The need for public education
B) The humane treatment of the insane
C) The sanctioning of the state's debtor laws
D) The use of corporal punishment

Question 14

School was viewed as a vehicle for building nationalistic spirit because

A) westward migration had an impact on American nationalism.
B) the flood of immigrants challenged the American identity.
C) individuals expressed greater loyalty to the local community.
D) All of these answers are correct.

Question 15

Which of the following beliefs of Horace Mann did Orestes Brownson criticize?

A) Secularism
B) Local control of schools
C) The inclusion of religion in the curriculum
D) Democratic localism

Question 16

As president of the Antioch College in Ohio, one of Mann's prime concerns was

A) the class-based, state-financed system of education that plagued American colleges.
B) the higher education of women.
C) the religious bigotry toward Irish students in the college.
D) the inclusion of religion in the college curriculum.

Question 17

The influx of Irish immigrants, as a group, was considered problematic because

A) they were uneducated and unskilled.
B) they did not speak English.
C) they were Catholic.
D) they were uneducated and unskilled and they were Catholic.

Question 18

Which of the following is true of the "common elements" of the common school advocated by Mann?

A) They included the "great Christian truths" that he believed all rational men would criticize.
B) They represented a traditional Calvinist perspective.
C) They were opposed by the liberal wing of New England Protestantism.
D) They were opposed by the Irish Catholics.

Question 19

John Stuart Mill stated that "Education provided by the public must be education for all." This statement suggests that

A) education must be purely secular in nature.
B) public schools must be affordable for everyone.
C) gender segregation must not be part of public schooling.
D) education must not glorify one single religion.

Question 20

The rise of Catholic schools in the United States can be seen as a response to

A) the Catholics' belief that academic standards were lower in public schools.
B) the anti-Catholic sentiments of the majority of common school supporters.
C) Victor Cousin's popular report of the successes of Prussian schools.
D) the inclusion of Jews and unbelievers in the educational board.

Question 21

Johann Fichte's position that "you must fashion [the child] . . . in such a way that he cannot will otherwise than you wish him to will" is most importantly tied to Mann's support for

A) a pedagogy of love.
B) common elements.
C) sectarianism.
D) corporal punishment.

Question 22

Mann's belief that women would make better teachers than men reflects

A) his concerns about keeping educational costs low, since women were paid less than men.
B) his belief that women would naturally love children.
C) his belief that women and men have inherently different natures.
D) All of these answers are correct.

Question 23

Which of the following is true of the normal schools developed by the Prussians?

A) Their objective was to prepare students for the military.
B) In these schools, content was seen as more important than how to teach.
C) These schools were responsible for a reduction in the level of literacy.
D) The teachers in these schools were carefully schooled in pedagogy.

Question 24

The notion that a key purpose of education would be to "inform" and make society "safe" stems from the idea that

A) the lower classes were intellectually unready for the responsibility of voting.
B) farmers were too geographically disconnected from urban centers to make informed choices.
C) the Irish Catholics were more loyal to the Pope than to independent self-government.
D) the lower classes were intellectually unready for the responsibility of voting and that the Irish Catholics were more loyal to the Pope than to independent self-government.

Question 25

Supporters of the common school movement emphasized schooling's ability to

A) improve the morality of the population.
B) teach needed workplace habits.
C) redistribute wealth equally.
D) All of these answers are correct.

Question 26

Mann's "pedagogy of love"

A) represented a significant change in the classroom methodology.
B) relied on manipulating the nonrational psyche of a child.
C) reflected a change in how human rationality was understood at the time.
D) All of these answers are correct.

Question 27

Which of the following movements did Mann advocate?

A) Local control of schools
B) Higher education for women
C) A public rail system
D) All of these answers are correct.

Question 28

Brownson's opposition to Mann's normal school concept stemmed from his

A) states' rights position.
B) advocacy of democratic localism.
C) belief that a variety of religious beliefs should be included in the curriculum.
D) All of these answers are correct.

Question 29

At the core of Mann's effort to reform common schooling was his belief that

A) belief and religion are crucial for children during their formative years.
B) inculcating patriotism among students was as important as teaching them reading and writing.
C) public schools contributed to the creation of Congregationalists.
D) the school must inculcate an appropriate set of moral values in the state's children.

Question 30

Women's opportunities for employment as teachers increased during the common-school era primarily because

A) women were more likely to seek justice for children's transgressions.
B) it was believed that the predominant female characteristic was reason rather than affection.
C) it was believed that women were by nature fundamentally different from men but superior in rational faculties.
D) women's loving discipline would provide them easier access to the inner psyche of the students.

Question 31

The notion of industrial morality can be described as

A) values that include clear demarcations between childhood, youth, and adulthood.
B) values that revolve around notions of clock time and punctuality.
C) values that enforce respect for rules, law, and authority.
D) All of these answers are correct.

Question 32

Which of the following is true of Mann's stance on corporal punishment in schools?

A) He believed there was a potential for manipulating a child's psyche through punishment.
B) He believed that it was necessary to "beat the devil out of children."
C) He contended that fear improved the personality and morality of a child.
D) He challenged teachers to constantly try to decrease their use of punishment.

Question 33

The idea that schools could and should serve to inculcate students with a set of common values

A) was a topic of great debate in Mann's time.
B) was perceived by many segments of society as important for social stability.
C) became a recurrent issue of school reform.
D) All of these answers are correct.

Question 34

Underlying Brownson's opposition to Mann's educational reforms was his commitment to

A) Whig paternalism.
B) Democratic localism.
C) classical liberalism.
D) instrumentalism.

Question 35

Common schooling was widely perceived as an effort to

A) increase political participation.
B) increase social inequality.
C) decrease social discord.
D) All of these answers are correct.

Question 36

The purpose of the normal schools was to teach prospective educators

A) academic subjects.
B) teaching methodologies.
C) how to implement the pedagogy of love.
D) All of these answers are correct.

Question 37

In today's schooling climate, Brownson would be most likely to support

A) busing to achieve racial balance in schools.
B) enhancement programs for gifted and talented children.
C) local parent councils to participate in school governance.
D) All of these answers are correct.

Question 38

Women began dominating the ranks of teachers because

A) their loving discipline provided them easier access to the inner psyche of the students.
B) more women were qualified to teach than were men.
C) female teachers were believed to be more rational than emotional.
D) female teachers were much less expensive than male ones.

Question 39

According to Brownson, a government that neglects to provide an equal education for all members of society forfeits the right to

A) determine the methods of teaching in schools.
B) reform public education.
C) use war compensation to fund common schools.
D) punish an offender who may be uneducated.

Question 40

Mann believed that common schools had a responsibility to

A) rake the best geniuses from the rubbish.
B) inculcate students with an appropriate set of moral values.
C) ensure all students were well-versed in the classical curriculum.
D) All of these answers are correct.

Question 41

There was opposition to Mann's ideas for common-school reforms, but the reforms were successful. The most important reason for this was

A) that the time for common schooling had come.
B) Jacksonian democracy.
C) that the secretary was able to provide multiple reasons to enlist the support of diverse elements in Massachusetts for his programs.
D) the Irish immigration.

Question 42

A primary goal (or goals) of the volkschule was to

A) provide youth with a classical education.
B) develop patriotic citizens.
C) eliminate social class distinctions.
D) provide youth with a classical education and eliminate social class distinctions.

Question 43

In Prussia, what aspect of education was not controlled by the government?

A) Education used as a formal discipline
B) Approval of teachers
C) Choosing the methods of teaching and the matters taught
D) None of these answers is correct.

Question 44

Which of the statements below would Orestes Brownson not agree with?

A) In our society, the people are supposed to be wiser than the government.
B) To avoid unfairness to any specific religious sect, only general religious principles should be taught in schools.
C) In a free society, there can be no teaching by government authority.
D) None of these answers is correct.

Question 45

The mid-19th century witnessed a trend toward expanding the role of the United States government. This was primarily because

A) newspapers were printing controversial articles, and this required government intervention.
B) the growing factory and railroad industries wanted government assistance in the form of land grants, financial aid, and protective tariffs.
C) people felt that the government had to intervene in order to give women and minorities equal opportunities in education.
D) None of these answers is correct.

Question 46

Teachers of the common-school era

A) received adequate training.
B) were expected to serve as moral exemplars.
C) had significant social status in the community.
D) None of these answers is correct.

Question 47

In the early 19th century, the extension of the right to vote to more white male citizens led to the support of education for what?

A) To inform and thus make safe the vote of an uneducated electorate
B) To establish greater consensus about their view of what was right and good for society
C) Both to inform and thus make safe the vote of an uneducated electorate and to establish greater consensus about what was right and good for society
D) None of these answers is correct.

Question 48

In the first half of the 19th century, which of the following was among the most important political-economic developments?

A) The stock market was developed to fund schools.
B) The Protestant elite that controlled the schools was getting richer.
C) State funding for common schooling was approved in Massachusetts.
D) None of these answers is correct.