Education in the 1800’s

By: Brooks Beattie

What types of Schools were there?

• The schools in the 1800’s were just one room. In that room there was a chalkboard, chairs and desks, and the teachers desk. There was limited space and a furnace to keep the class warm.

This is what one of the classed looked like in the 1800’s

What things did they learn?

• The kids learned the basics when there were at school. They focused on reading writing and arithmetic. Later, they started focusing on their lifetime careers.

What were the supplies they used?

• In this time they used chalkboards and pens that they would dip in ink along with the books that they would read in.

These are the ordinary materials that they would use

How long were their school careers?

• Few people attended collage. But some of the kids that did go to collage started at the age of 13. While all of the other kids started preparing for their lifetime jobs in grade school. Some of the main things that they focused when learning for their lifetime jobs was farming and cleaning.

How did they prepare for their jobs?

• Girls learned how to take care of their families. Such as cooking and cleaning. While the boys learned how to farm and ranch. For example, they would help their dad’s with the farming.

An ordinary man An ordinary woman

How long were the school careers?• They did not start school in

September like we do, they had to help their families harvest crops. In the spring they had to help the community and plant crops. And in the fall they had to harvest the crops. So because of this they had school only in the winter and summer. Older boys often didn’t go to school in the summer because they helped harvesting. Also, sometimes boys stayed at home to work on the farm.

This might be what one of their farms looked like

Age of the class.

• All of the classes were filled with different ages. Some youngest as 3-4 and others older that the teacher! They were not grouped by what age they were. They were grouped by what type of book they used or how smart they were.

As you can see the age of the class varies of all different ages.

What about the teachers?

• The teachers in this time only got paid $4 to $10 a month. Also, there was a program called the “board round.” And that is where the teacher lived with their students.

This is what the ordinary teacher looked like

Sources• http://library.thinkquest.org/J002606/mid1800s.html• http://www.historycentral.com/nn/America/education.html • http

://www.mass.gov/?pageID=mg2terminal&L=6&L0=Home&L1=State+Government&L2=About+Massachusetts&L3=Interactive+State+House&L4=Key+Events&L5=Education+Timeline&sid=massgov2&b=terminalcontent&f=interactive_statehouse_education_1800s&csid=massgov2http://www.historycentral.com/nn/America/education.html

• Going To School in Colonial America By: Shelley Swanson Sateren

• Early Schools By: Bobbie Kalman