D. Schools in the Middle Colonies

The Dutch settlers in New Netherland, familiar with private elomentary schools in Holland, soon felt a need for public support of schools and of other institutions for children. However, education in that colony remained largely in the hands of private teachers with some regulation by the authorities. In the eighteenth century schoolmasters of the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel were active in New York.

1. A. plea from officers of the colony for a public school, 1649

"The Remonstrance of New Netherland to the High and Mighty Lords States General of the United Netherlands by the People of New Netherland on the 28th of July, 1649," in O'Callaghan, Documents Relative 10 the Colonial History of New York, I, 317.

Although we are satisfied and fully aware, that, as respects public reforms, we are but as children, and that your High Mightinesses are fully competent in the case, yet we beseech you to pardon and excuse us, if we, according to our humble conception thereof, make a few suggestions in addition to what we have already considered, in our petition to your High Mightinesses, to be necessary.

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There ought to be…a public school provided with at least two good teachers, so that the youth, in so wild a country, where there are so many dissolute people, may, first of all, be well instructed and indoctrinated not only in reading and writing, but also in the knowledge and fear of the Lord. Now, the school is kept very irregularly, by this one or that, according to his fancy, as long as he thinks proper. There ought to be, likewise, asylums for aged men, for orphans, and similar institutions…

2. Instructions from the burgomasters of New Amsterdam to a teacher, 1661

Thomas E. Finegan, Free School: A Documentary History of the Free School Movement in New York State (Albany, 1921), pp.16-17.

1. He shall take good care, that the children, coming to his school, do so at the usual hour , namely at eight in the morning and one in the afternoon.

2. He must keep good discipline among his pupils.

3. He shall teach the children and pupils the Christian prayers, 'commandments, baptism, Lord's supper, and the questions with answers of the catechism, which are taught here on every Sunday afternoon in the church.

4. Before school closes he shall let the pupils sing some verses and a psalm.

5. Besides his yearly salary he shall be allowed to demand and receive from every pupil quarterly as follows: For each child, whom he teaches the a b c, spelling, and reading, 30 stivers; for teaching to read and write, 50 stivers; for teaching to read, write and cipher, 60 stivers; from those who come in the evening and between times pro rata a fair sum. The poor and needy, who ask to be taught for God's sake, he shall teach for nothing.

3. A schoolmaster licensed and given a monopoly of instruction in English at Albany, New York, by the governor of the colony, 1665

Daniel J. Pratt, Annals of Public Education in the State of New York from 1626 to 1746 (Albany, 1872), p. 57.

In 1664 the English gained control of New York from the Dutch. Richard Nicolls, who issued this license, was the first English governor of the colony.

John Shutte is Licensed to Teach in Albany, New York, 1665.

Whereas, the teaching of the English tongue is necessary in this government; I have, therefore, thought fitt to give license to John Shutte to be the English Schoolmaster at Albany; And, upon condition that the said John Shutte shall not demand any more wages from each Schollar than is given by the Dutch to their Dutch Schoolmasters, I have further granted to the said John Shutte that hee shall bee the onely English Schoolmaster at Albany.

Although higher learning held few attructions for the early Friends in America, they established private schools for elementary instruction. More than other colonists, they distrusted conventional, formal instruction, favoring a simpler mode of education that would directly prepare the young for the practical duties of life.

1. Parents, masters, and guardians must see that children learn reading, writing, and a trade, 1682

Stanghton et al, Charter to Willliam Penn, p.142.

This forward-looking law was disallowed by the Crown on the grounds that it was contrary to English educational traditions. Although it was re-enacted in a modified form in 1693, it was never enforced.

And to the end that poor as well us rich may be instructed in good and commendable learning, which is to be preferred before wealth, Be it enacted, That all persons in this Province and territories thereof having children, and all the guardians or trustees of orphans, shall cause such to be instructed in reading and writing, so that they may be able to read the Scriptures, and to write by that time they attain to twelve years of age. And that they be taught some useful trade or skill, that the poor may work to live, and the rich, if they become poor, may not want. Of which every County Court shall take care. And in case such parents, guardians, or overseers shall be found deficient in this respect, every such parent, guardian, or overseer, shall pay for every such child, five pounds, except there should appear an incapacity in body or understanding to hinder it.

2. Proposal for a system of public schools to teach academic subjects and trades, 1685

Thomas Budd, Good Order Established in Pennsylvania and New Jersey, ed. Frederick I. Shepard (Cleveland, 1902),'pp. 43--49; first published in 1685.

Budd, a leader of the Quaker settlement during its early years, hoped that this plan would attract colonists to Pennsylvania and New Jersey. Although his scheme was not adopted, it serves as a statement of Friends' objectives in education.

1. Now It might be well if a Law were made by the Governours and general Assemblies of Pennsilvania and New-Jersey, that ill Persons inhabiting in the said Provinces, do put their Children seven years to the publick School, or longer, if the Parents please.

2. That Schools be provided in all Towns and Cities, and persons of known honesty, skill and understanding be yearly chosen by the Governour and General Assembly, to teach and instruct Boys and Girls in all the most useful Arts and Sciences that they in their youthful capacities may be capable to understand, as the learning to Read and Write true English, Latine, and other useful Speeches and Languages, and fair Writing, Arithmatick and Book-keeping; and the Boys to be taught and instructed in some Mystery or Trade, as the making of Mathematical Instruments, Joynery, Turnery, the making of Clocks and Watches, Weaving, Shoe-making, or any other useful Trade or Mystery that the School is capable of teaching; and the Girls to be taught and instructed in Spinning of Flax and Wool, and

Knitting of Gloves and Stockings, Sewing, and making of all sorts of useful Needle-Work, and the making of Straw-Work, as Hats, Baskets, &c. or any other useful Art or Mystery that the School is capable of teaching.

3. That the Scholars be kept in the Morning two hours at Reading, Writing, Book-keeping, &c. and other two hours at work in that Art, Mystery or Trade that he or she most delighteth in, and then let them have two hours to dine, and for Recreation; and in the afternoon two hours at Reading, Writing, &c. and the other two hours at work at their several Imployments.

4. The seventh day of the Week the Scholars may come to school only in the fore-noon, and at a certain hour in the afternoon let a Meeting be kept by the School-masters and their Scholars, where after good instruction and admonition is given by the Masters, to the Scholars and thanks returned to the Lord for his Mercies and Blessings that are daily received from him, then let a strict examination be made by the Masters, of the Conversation of the Scholars in the week past, and let reproof, admonition and correction be given to the Offendors, according to the quantity and quality of their faults.

5. Let the like Meetings be kept by the School-Mistresses, and the Girls apart from the Boys. By strictly observing this good order, our Children will be hindred of running into that Excess of Riot and Wickedness that youth is incident to, and they will be a comfort to their tender Parents.

6. Let one thousand Acres of Land be given and laid out in a good place, to every publick School that shall be set up, and the Rent or incom of it to go towards the defraying of the charge of the School.

7. And to the end that the Children of poor People, and the Children of Indians may have the like good Learning with the Children of Rich People, let them be maintained free of charge to their Parents, out of the Profits of the school, arising by the Work of the Scholars, by which the Poor and the Indians, as well as the Rich, will have their Children taught, and the Remainder of the Profits, if any be, to be disposed of in the building of School-houses, and Improvements on the thousand Acres of Land, which belongs to the School.

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3. A gentle protest against the book learning of schools when achieved at the cost of familiarity with nature, God and self, 1693

William Penn, "Reflections and Maxims," in Select Works of William Penn (London, 1782), pp. 119-122.

Ignorance

1. It is admirable to consider how many millions of people come into and go out of the world ignorant of themselves and of the world they have lived in.

2. If one went to see Windsor Castle or Hampton Court, it would be strange not to observe and remember the situation, the building, the gardens, mountains, etc. that make up the beauty and pleasure of such a seat. And yet few people know themselves; no, not their own bodies, the houses of their minds, the most curious structure of the world, a living, walking tabernacle; nor the world of which it was made, and out of which it is fed; which would be so much our benefit, as well as our pleasure, to know. We cannot doubt of this when we are told that the invisible things of God are brought to light by the things that are seen, and consequently we read our duty in them as often as we look upon them, to him that is the Great and Wise Author of them, if we look as we should do.

3. The world is certainly a great and stately volume of natural things, and may be not improperly styled the hieroglyphics of a better. But, alas! how very few leaves of it do we seriously turn over! This ought to be the subject of the education of our youth who, at twenty, when they should be fit for business, know little or nothing of it.

Education

4. We are in pain to make them scholars, but not men! To talk, rather than to know; which is true canting.

5. The first thing obvious to children is what is sensible, and that We make no part of their rudiments.

6. We press their memory too soon, and puzzle, strain, and load them with words and rules; to know grammar and rhetoric, and a strange tongue or two, that it is ten to one may never be useful to them; leaving their natural genius to mechanical and physical, or natural knowledge uncultivated and neglected, which would be of exceeding use and pleasure to them through the whole course of their life.

7. To be sure, languages are not to be despised or neglected. But things are still to be preferred.

8. Children had rather be making the tools and instruments of play, shaping, drawing, framing, and building, etc. than getting some rules of propriety of speech by heart; and those, also, would follow with more judgment and less trouble and time.

9. It were happy if we studied nature more in natural things, and acted according to nature, whose rules are few, plain, and most reasonable.

10. Let us begin where she begins, go her pace, and close always where she ends, and we cannot miss of being good naturalists.

11. The creation would not be longer a riddle to us; the heavens, earth, and waters, With their respective various and numerous inhabitants; their production, natures, seasons, sympathies and antipathies; their use, benefit, and pleasure, would be better understood by us; and an eternal wisdom, power, majesty, and goodness very conspicuous to us through those sensible and passing forms; the world wearing the mark of its Maker, whose stamp Is everywhere visible, and the characters very legible to the: children of wisdom.

12. And it would go a great way to caution and direct people in their use of the world that they were better studied and knowing: in the creation of it.

13. For how could men find the conscience to abuse it while they should see the Great Creator look them in the face in all and every part thereof?

14. Therefore ignorance makes them insensible, and to that insensibility may be ascribed their hard usage of several parts of this noble creation, that has the stamp and voice of Diety everywhere, and in everything, to the observing.

15. It is pity, therefore, that books have not been composed for youth by some curious and careful naturalists, and also mechanics, in the: Latin tongue, to be used in schools that they might learn things with words, things obvious and familiar to them and which would make the tongue easier to be attained by them.

16. Many able gardeners and husbandmen are yet ignorant of the reason of their calling, as most artificers are of the reason of their own rules that govern their excellent workmanship. But a naturalist and mechanic of this sort is master of the reason of both and might be of the practice too if his industry kept pace with his speculation, which were very commendable, and without which he cannot be said to be a complete naturalist or mechanic.

17. Finally, if man be the index or epitome of the world, as philosophers tell us; we have only to read ourselves well to be learned in it. But because there is nothing we less regard than the characters of the Power that made us, which are so clearly written upon us, and the world he has given us, and can best tell us what we are and should be, we are even strangers to our own genius: the glass in which we should see that true, instructing, and agreeable variety which is to be observed in nature, to the admiration of that wisdom, and adoration of that power, which made us all.