Philadelphia High School for Girls - Milestone Yearbook (Philadelphia, PA)

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schools were few. The boys were taught spelling, reading, writing and casting accounts. lt was not considered necessary to trouble the brains of the feminine element with more than spelling, reading, and probably a little writing. Fancy work and cooking were considered by far the more necessary accompl-ishments. Girls were trained to be useful wives and mothers of the coming generation. This training was indeed necessary, for the country was soon to meet a crisis upon which the balance of the nation's future existence hung. The Revolutionary War loomed up before the faces of an earnest, resolute people and threatened destruction to the very foundations of the noble structure of self-government, which they were erecting. ln 1775 the flames of war broke forth in all their blazing fury, and threatened to devour the nation as a whole. But though tried in the dread furnace of the white-hot Gres of savage war, these patriots, our ancestors, came forth bravely bearing the banner of liberty. Nlen's souls and works had stood the test, the nation had proven itself worthy. A Misfortune had united these scattered banks of colonists, and the desire for liberty had welded them together in an almost unbreakable union. Each man's thoughts then centered in the progress of a country, his very own. It is natural that in such a turmoil and readjustment of affairs a public school system and the progress of the higher seats of learning should be overlooked for the moment. But now, when the nation, having recovered from the terrors of war, looked again to the education of the youth, it found con- ditions in decided need of improvement. The public school system, to be sure, had progressed to some extent, but the management of these schools -.vas now at fault. The instructors of the school were often very severe in the discipline of the scholars,,and, in some cases, brutal. The colleges did not seem to increase rapidly in attendance. The number of students in the graduating classes of all the colleges together was scarcely more than that of a single university of today. But these faults were not lasting, for with this new era of liberty came a progress which bore all before it. Public schools were established all over the United States. The colleges flourished. New schools of medicine and law sprang up all over the country. In fact, America have excelled, especially in one branch of literature-the public papers of our great statesmen. The toil of establishing schools and colleges has not been in vain, for it has brought forth many noble men, whose eloquent speech and fiery pen have done much for the glory of our government. Men such as these were Patrick Henry, Daniel Webster, Thomas Jefferson, and many other famous orators and writers. And so we come to the conclusion that education in the day of our forefathers was just as vital a force as it is today. Without it we should have been unable to lay claim to the great educational system that is ours today. With it as the base we are erecting a mighty monument to wisdom today. We do not at all wonder at the rather slow progress of education in the early days of the nation's history. We appreciate the untiring efforts 15

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tind New England forgin,g ahead in the establishment of both public schools and colleges. As early as 1640 we find that a free school had been estab- lished in Salem of the Massachusetts Bay Colony. In 1642 or even earlier both Boston and Cambridge had their public schools. Very soon every promising little settlement had its school, and not long after the state adopted a system of public schooling. A bill passed in 1647 provided for the establishment of common and grammar schools in every township. Turning again to the remaining colonies we may readily see that the progress of education was here less swift. New York had no system of public schooling until 1760. The schools of Pennsylvania and New Jersey were mostly parish schools under the control of the Presbyterians and Quakers. These schools, however, were partially successful. In fact it is said Considering the mass of immigrants their efforts were crowned with success. In Mary- land slaves were sold as teachers. Virginia's scattered settlements prevented the establishment of a public system, and farther south than this we do not hear of any attempts which had been made to found public schools. This does not mean that the sons of the southern planters were not educated, for they were usually sent to the famous old schools of England. At this time our own colleges were being established and were speedily developing into favor. Harvard was founded in 1638 by Reverend John Harvard, who gave half his estate and many of his books. William and Mary College was founded at Williamsburg, Virginia in 1692. This college was the pride of the Virginians, and to it they devoted the funds whch hitherto had been unsuccessfully employed in the establishment of public schools, Eight years after the founding of William and Mary, ten clergy- men held a conference at Saybrook, with intention to establish a college there. Through their contributions of books and money this was made possible the following year. Elihu Yale was the most important patron of this college and from him it received its name. In 1717 Yale was moved tc New Haven, Connecticut, the birthplace of its patron. Another famous college of the day was King's College-now Columbia University,-which was established in 1750. The courses of education offered by these colleges were not very advanced and were greatly influenced by religious feeling. The branches taught were not as many as those in a high school course of today. There were no schools of medicine or law, and the physician and lawyer were lightly esteemed. The sole object of most of the colleges was to train the youth in the old doctrine of the church. In the common schools there was the same strong religious element, and here too we find the studies not at all advanced. In the Dutch settlements, in particular, the clergymen were also the masters of the schools. And, this method was not without its advantages, for should you on a Sunday hear the master in his stately robes hurl down his fiery warnings from the pulpit far above your head, you would surely go to school the next day in a meeker and more passive frame of mind, lest some of that brimstone fall on you, 01' CVCI1 a Worse punishment,-the birchrod. The branches taught in these 14

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by which the foundations have been laid. lt is with pride in our own work- manship that we view the noble structure we are erecting, and we believe with proud hopes that our descendants will carry the work forward. 'Qs' THE VIOLET While walking through the woods one day, I saw a maiden by the way: She was so very sweet and shy, That every one seemed to pass her by. l stopped and looked at this maiden fair, l seemed to see her everywhereg She was the loveliest person I ever met, It was the little violet. -Hilda Clarke. 16