The educational crusade was originally designed for the Native Americans with the purpose of casting out their heathen ways by showing them the word of God. The primary reason that people learned to read and write was to be able to read the Bible. By having people able to read the Bible, they would be a more moralistic people who worked and abided by rules. This stream of thought carried on to the 19th century as a means to end crime and poverty. This way of thinking started with the Native Americans, as the colonists were very interested in taming the Native Americans and bringing them into the Anglican culture through school, and to conform them to the Christian religion. The colonists wanted to create a unified culture. The New England Primer taught students the alphabet by using Bible passages and prayer to respect God and their elders. It also linked education to social status.
The purpose of education in colonial society’s focus was religion. One needed to know how to read so that one could study the Bible. this focus also served as a form of submission of students and children to their elders. The children were being trained on how to be loyal, hard, and respectful workers. There were also different racks of education. the wealthy children went to grammar schools to be given a classical education to prepare them for college and to maintain their place in high society. The lower class …show more content…
citizenship. The Naturalization Act of 1790 excluded Native Americans from U.S. citizenship. This was in keeping with the belief that the survival of the republic depended on a homogenous citizenry of “whites.” At the time, Native Americans were classified as “domestic foreigners.” Thomas McKenney, the first head of the Office of Indian Affairs, targeted the Five Civilized Tribes for the process of deculturalization. He believed in the power of schooling to culturally transform Native Americans. His opinion reflected the growing conviction among many European Americans that education was the key to social control and improvement of society. McKenney didn’t even consider the possibility that some tribal members might resent and resist this attempt at cultural transformation. He believed that the time was right for the experiment because of relative peace with the tribes and “there were now several missionary stations already in operation, though on a small scale, all of them furnishing proof that…would reform and save, and bless this long neglected, and downtrodden people (Spring, 2010, p.