The History of Education

Few fields have a less adequate understanding of their own histories than does education. This itself is a cause of inertia and inadequacy in education, both in the status quo but also amongst innovators. There is no understanding why or wherefore without understanding whence.

This project is dedicated to understanding the history of education, particularly its intellectual history: pedagogy, philosophy, and ideological patterns and arguments across the timeline.

There is a particular emphasis on understanding the intellectual roots and reception of Montessori education.

Featured Content

Education in the 19th & 20th Centuries

Work in Education: A Peculiar History

Presenting at the Discovering the Child Global Conference in June 2021, Dr. Matt Bateman discusses the historical nature of work in education and the dichotomy between the approaches taken in Classical and Progressive education, including Maria Montessori's unique contribution in this field: the recognition of the inextricable link between these two elements.

The History of American Education from 1820-1920: Part I

Educating the Citizens of the World’s Only Democratic Republic: An examination of a number of overlapping currents in the evolution of education in 19th century America: Emerson, Jacksonian Democracy, the emergence of secondary education, progressive education, and more.

Edmund Burke and American Education

British statesman Edmund Burke described the American founding generation as “one of the most legally sophisticated generations ever.”

To use Burke’s own words, he was speaking of a “circumstance” in the American colonies that he believed contributed significantly to the development of a rebellious spirit among colonists. That circumstance was “their education.”

The Education of Abigail Adams

In the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, it was generally considered inappropriate for a woman's letters to be published by herself or anyone else, as she was considered a private figure by default. However, in 1840, a rare exception was made with the publication of first lady Abigail Adams’s correspondence, edited by her grandson, Charles Francis Adams, Sr..

This collection of letters and Charles’ accompanying commentary offer an insightful glimpse into the state of upper-class female education in the early United States.

Highlight: The History of Montessori

The First American Tensions

Cristina de Stefano has written a new biography of Montessori, The Child is the Teacher.

She’s given us permission, as a teaser, to publish this excerpt from her book, where some of the first tensions in the US Montessori movement in the 1910s are starting to surface.

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Education Without Edification: Some Reflections on Ethics

Matt Bateman has just completed the first run of our course on the history of education, and I had the pleasure of assisting him by providing research on the history of pre-modern education. One of the most striking features of education in earlier eras and in ancient education particularly, is the absolute centrality of moral training to the goals of pedagogy.

The First American Tensions

Cristina de Stefano has written a new biography of Montessori, The Child is the Teacher.

She’s given us permission, as a teaser, to publish this excerpt from her book, where some of the first tensions in the US Montessori movement in the 1910s are starting to surface.

History of Education Courses

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