Assignment #7
How did the education that children received differ in the southern, middle, and New England colonies of British North America? (200 words or more)
Kitty Lui
New England was really different from the other colonies. As a predominately Puritan area, they put more of an emphasis on education compared to the southern and middle colonies. The reason for this is because of the connection between education and religion. This helped their children to be more literate, so they can understand their religion more. This was also the training for the new generation of religious and moral leaders. They had more school established compared to everyone else and school was a super important aspect in their life. In New England, they would send their children to live with other families for apprenticeship and help them become more disciplined.
While in the middle colonies they were Quackers and Dutch, and the South was mostly Anglian. Compared to New England, these colonies didn’t put an emphasis on education as much. They also didn’t have that many schools. In the South, if one was wealthy, they will be educated through private tutors. Others will be taught at home or at their job settings as an apprentice. If one didn’t go to school, it seemed that what they learned came from those around them. They were able to find ways to become literate, outside from going to school.
Nancy Lu
There is a huge difference in education between the southern, middle, and New England colonies of British North America. The education practices were focused on religion and cultural values. Attending school wasn’t as frequent in some colonies and the schools were a lot smaller in size. In New England, schools were al to smaller and was usually taught by one teacher. Education was much more significant in New England due to the higher literacy rates. Leaders and intellectuality was very essential for those in New England. Children focused on studying the bible, books of prayers, catechisms, and religious scripts. The middle colonies were settled by Quakers and The Dutch where the primary focus was culture. Those who went to school were taught religious and cultural practices. Southern colonies had the lowest literacy rates since it was more focused on agriculture and farmland. The distance from the farm to school was very far so education was not as important. Those who were wealthy would hire tutors.
Omar Sarreal
There was a distinct difference between the way the Southern, Middle, and New England colonies of British America. This difference was mostly in part by their geographic location and their religious beliefs. In the south it was hard for children to go to school because the farms they lived on were a great distance away from the closest school. Wealthy plantation owners would pay for their children, usually their sons, to be privately tutored on the plantation. Women worked mainly on social skills so that they would be able to provide for their husband in the future.
In the middle colonies children were learning more practical life skills for work in the future, but in 1683 there was a law passed that required all children to learn how to read and write. Some areas in the middle colonies were dominated by religion, which was somewhat taught in school. Also the level of education was dependent on the social standing of the child. Children of a higher social class would often have the opportunity to study things like classical languages, history and literature, mathematics, and natural science.
The New England colonies had more focus on educating children. Their way of teaching was based of puritan beliefs. They needed to learn how to read and write so they could interpret the bible and its teachings.
Aliyah Deiz
The education that children received in southern colonies, generally began their education at home. Because the distances between farms and plantations made community schools impossible, plantation owners often hired tutors to teach boys math, classical languages, science, geography, history, etiquette, and plantation management.
In the middle colonies, they stressed the practical aspects of education. All boys learned a skill or trade. Depending on their social class, they might also study classical languages, history and literature, mathematics, and natural science.
In the New England colonies were deeply rooted in religion. For these colonies, their education was specifically based on Puritan beliefs. They stressed the learning of reading because they believed that Satan was keeping those who couldn't read from the scriptures
Angel Moreno
In the New England colonies, the Puritans based off their lives on the concepts of the Bible. Furthermore, they had a strong value on education because they believed in the fact that Satan was holding back those who were unable to read from the scriptures. Boys from age six to eight were very devoted to their education. They showed a lot of enthusiasm towards learning how to read and write. Later, as they grew up, they attended Latin schools which were in charge of preparing them for college and eventually a political career. The girls in New England colonies usually just stayed at home and built their skills there.
Something about education in the middle colonies that was astonishing was the fact that they were not concerned about providing it. If children really wanted an education for themselves, it was up to their parents because the colonial leaders did not care. It was until 1683 when a law was passed that required all children to learn how to read and write. In some areas of the middle colonies, religious groups were in control of schools. The social class of children served as a factor in regards to the type of education they received. Some were able to study classical languages, history, and natural science. The difference from the New England colonies was that girls did get an education and were tutored at home.
It was very hard for children from the Southern colonies to get an education because of the distance from farms to schools. So, they usually got educated at home. Occasionally, owners of plantations would pay for tutors to teach boys math or science. The girls in the south would usually just build social skills so that they can get a husband. Only one percent of slaves could sign their names.
SUMMARY
Regarding the differences between education in different colonies, it is very prominent that education is handled differently. The Southern, middle and New England colonies all share differences in terms of education. New England focused heavily on education, as shown in higher literacy rates as opposed to the Southern colonies. Those in the Southern colonies found education to be less significant and focused more on agriculture. If a family was wealthy in the Southern colonies, then they would hire a private tutor. The middle colonies heavily focused on religious values and students would study language and history.