APUSH Horace Mann

Horace Mann criticized the educational system of the United States. Mann looked to implement universal education, make schools non-sectarian, free schooling, and base the learning experience of students on increasing their character. Mann heavily worked to reform the educational system.

Mann did tons to try to improve American education and life. He worked on the Massachusetts Board of Education and pushed for change within the system. He worked to try and abolish slavery because he felt that it could help general education. Mann also worked to raise awareness to parents that education could help children earn higher wages.

Mann's work did not go unnoticed, and soon he started to make an impact to the educational systems in the states. In 1839, the first state funded public school was established in Lexington. Mann worked to establish a public school system in every northern state, and also introduced schools that blended religion with basic education. Mann also was one of the first to establish the idea of graded work, and also mandated colleges based on the training of future teachers.

Mann came from basically nothing and turned into the face of the educational reform movement. Before becoming the valedictorian at Brown, Mann had at most a month of formal education between ages 10-20. Mann's work was extremely important in building an educated America, and his passion for educational success in the states was unrivaled.

Mann was, to a high extent, obsessed with his goals of educational reform. Despite his reform ideas seeming like no-brainers in today's world, his ideas seemed highly impractical and outright crazy. Universal, free education was wished by many, but was looked upon as something that would be impossible to accomplish. However, Mann's downright fanatical approach of educational reform led to his eventual success, as his persistence to delivering speeches and writing pamphlets regarding education helped bring upon awareness and change.

If it were not for Mann's persistence in reforming the educational structure, it could be possible that we could not be sitting in this classroom. Mann's work left a huge impact; he successfully brought upon free public schooling to the masses, and the grading system he pioneered is still used to this date. His abolitionist work helped lead to people of all races being able to go to school. Mann's work is still appreciated to this date, as the modern public school system is based off of his initial work.