"What Happened To Classical Education?" 1/2

"From the founding of Harvard to around 1800, almost all education that took place in America was oriented toward cultivating wisdom and virtue in the leadership class. This mode of learning, warts and all, produced our constitution. Page Smith identified that constitution as the high point and last achievement of Christian and classical culture.

From around 1800 to around 1900, American education shifted its objective from wisdom and virtue to America, citizenship, patriotism. Most 19th century education was oriented toward being a good citizen. It was traditional but not classical.

Please allow me to remind the reader that I am stripping away variation and accidentals to create a caricature. There is no doubt that in the 19th century a number of schools, especially high schools and colleges, provided something like a classical education. But the tenor of the time, the spirit of the age..." ->