Documents in Year 1820                     

Links of Interest:

• James Monroe, Fifth U.S. President

(1817-1825)

• U.S. Census Overview 1820

• U.S. Census Fast Facts 1820

• Statehood

Maine (23 of 50 States) Admitted 19 March 1820, see 1821 for next state

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• Education: Rate Bill

"Until the 1820s or 1830s, the only really free education was that provided by the charity schools, or in certain other schools if the parents were willing to declare themselves paupers. Often local or county taxes levied on specific activities, for example, liquor licenses or marriage fees, provided partial support for the schools, but the remainder of the expenses were charged to the parents in the form of a rate bill. The rate bill was, in effect, a tuition fee based on the number of children in the family attending school. Even though the fee might be small, poor parents often could not afford it, so their children either did not attend school or took turns attending... In 1827, Massachusetts became the first state to abolish the rate bill. Other states soon followed these examples and by constitutional or legislative enactment adopted the concept of public support for public school open to all children. But it was not until 1871 that the last state (New Jersey) abolished the rate bill, making the schools truly free."

State Institutions of higher education established:

University of Georgia (1785) - South
University of North Carolina (1789) - South
University of Tennessee (1794)- South
University of South Carolina (1801) - South

Indiana University (1820) - Midwest

University of Michigan (1837) - Midwest
University of Wisconsin (1848) - Midwest

Source: Foundations of American Education, Sixth Edition page 134-135 / L. Dean Webb, Arlene Metha. Published by Pearson Education. 2010 see 1827 for next event...