Education: Rate Bill Abolished, public education truly free
"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."
Education: Higher (College)
Morrill Act established Land-grant Industrial colleges to meet the needs of farmers and laborers to improve their social and economic status.
65 new land-grant colleges were established including:
University of Maine (1865)
University of Illinois (1867)
University of West Virginia (1867)
University of California (1868)
Purdue University (1869)
University of Nebraska (1869)
Ohio University (1870)
University of Arkansas (1871)
Texas A&M University (1871)
Source: Foundations of American Education, Sixth Edition page 140-141 / L. Dean Webb, Arlene Metha. Published by Pearson Education. 2010
see 1875 for next event...
The Men Who Built America (Railroads)
Cornelius Vanderbilt owns 40% of all raillines that criss cross the United States.
Vanderbilt builds Grand Central Depot in New York City. It holds
three rail lines: NY Central and Hudson River Railroad, the NY, New Haven, and New Hartford Railroad, and the Harlem Railroad.
Brooklyn Bridge
March 11 Brooklyn foundation is complete. New York Caisson is
launched and towed into position. Digging begins. 2 years down, 12 to go to finish.
It's magnificent twin towers, breathtaking span, cutting edge
technology, and sheer beauty make Brooklyn Bridge the grandest,
and perhaps the most important structure built in America during
the nineteenth century. It was called "the eighth wonder of the
world."
Curlee, Lynn Brooklyn Bridge New York: Atheneum Books, 2001.
