Benjamin Rush Benjamin Rush lived from 1746-1813, and was one of the leaders in the Revolutionary movement. He was a 1760 graduate of Princeton and also graduated from Edinburgh in 1768. He was a professor at the College of Philadelphia when the Revolution broke out. He was one of the founders of Dickenson college, and he spoke and wrote about education topics frequently. He was interested in many social reforms, with one of his top priorities being reform of American education. He wanted American education to be in line with American needs, and work along with the principles of democracy. In 1786, Benjamin Rush produced a plan of education that he hoped would meet the needs of democracy. He believed, along with Adams, Madison, and others, that the only security of a republic lay in a proper education. Hence Rush wrote the monumental essay entitled "Thoughts Upon the Mode of Education Proper in a Republic.". This essay consisted of 20 main points, each of which will be briefly summarized here. *Education must take place in the United States. A general, uniform system of education needs to be established that would be adequate for all of the essential purposes of citizenship. He believed that the United States should establish a system that would make education in the United States preferred to an education in any other country. Rush believed that when this was accomplished, "Our schools of learning, by producing a general, and more uniform system of education, will render the mass of the people more homogeneous." *Supreme regard for country. Rush believed that above all else, a supreme regard for the United States must be established in all citizens. In referring to students, Rush said "I wish to see a supreme regard to their country inculcated upon them." Rush felt this to be a reasonable request because "Our country includes family, friends and property, and should be preferred to them all." For this reason the United States would need to establish a public system of education that would, by its character, reinforce this regard, rather than the motives that dominated the private schools. *Duty must be coupled with "republican principles"; with progressive development. One of the basic beliefs of the new nation was that it was established for the progress of mankind.. It would be a mistake to train the youth of the nation in such a way that they would simply continue the institutions that had been established. These institutions were meant to function progressively, and so must be modified constantly. For these reasons the pupil "must be taught that there can be no durable liberty in a republic and that government, like all other sciences, is of a progressive nature." *Amusements may educate for democracy. The reconstruction of education should not stop simply with a reformation of the formal school procedure. It should also extend into the amusements of youth, for there are "amusements that are proper for young people in a republic." All activities that had the potential to work against the spirit of democracy should be discouraged, and all others should be encouraged. * A new type of education required for new type of duties and new social control. There was an assumption after the revolution that the form of government that had been assumed had "created a new class of duties to every American." Another assumption was that the force of former controls had largely disappeared. Rush then concluded: "It becomes us, therefore, to examine our former habits upon this subject, and in laying the foundations for nurseries of wise and good men, to adapt our modes of teaching to the peculiar form of our government." *Latin and Greek not suited to American education. The traditional school curriculum that had previously stressed Latin and Greek needed to be replaced by one that would function immediately. *Education and the development of national resources Since the people were occupying a new country, "Their principle business should be to explore and apply its resources" and education should be modified as to carry forward these explorations and developments with "enterprise and haste." *Effect of devoting to science the time then spent upon the study of Greek and Latin. The prosperity and future development of the United States depended on the advancement of science. There was not enough time to gain both a mastery of languages and science. * Elimination of prejudices in higher education In the traditional college, prejudices were established against activities that had to do with everyday life. A change in the curriculum would have to take place that would establish a direct link between the higher schools and life. Rush believed that if such a change were brought about, "It would greatly increase the number of students in our colleges, and thereby extend the benefits of education throughout every part of our country." *Curriculum suitable for American democracy Rush outlined the following curriculum: "Let the first 8 years be employed in learning to speak, spell, read, and write the English language. Arithmetic and some of the more simple branches of the mathematics should be acquired between the twelfth and fourteenth years of his life. Natural history should find a prominent place early in the education, geography should be understood and mastered by age 12, and in place of the ancient languages should come French and German. Between the fourteenth and eighteenth years, the pupil should be instructed in grammar, oratory, criticism, the higher branches of mathematics, philosophy, chemistry, logic, metaphysics, chronology, history, government, the principles of agriculture, manufactures, and in everything else that is necessary to qualify him for public usefulness and private happiness." Rush also believed that a course of lectures should be given to teach about the evidences, doctrines, and precepts of the Christian religion. An interesting thing about this curriculum is that it was set up for boys alone. * Special emphasis upon history for nationalistic culture. For constructive citizenship, men must know the laws that govern human progress; they must know those factors that tend to repress and those that tend to liberate. Rush believed that instruction must be given not only in the theory of government, but also in the way in which history could be brought to function practically in human affairs. * Young men made by education into "republican machines" An education should be present that would give a thorough grounding in democratic principles, and at the same time would make for modification of instruments of society that would be necessary for progress toward greater freedom. * Education of women in citizenship; their particular duties in a republic. "Any system of education that would render the laws of democracy effective, must provide adequate training for women and must give them a grasp of the principles involved in a democracy, for they must concur in all our plans of education for young men." * Utilitarian character of female education/ peculiar duties of American womanhood. Women had the responsibility of instructing their children, and Rush felt that they should be prepared "by a suitable education, for the discharge of this most important duty as mothers." The woman had to be, along with other economic and political duties, the manager of her home. *Kind of education required In order to carry out these various obligations, the main part of a woman's education should consist of a mastery of the English language, and the ability to read and write well. For women, Rush set forth this idea of the curriculum, " knowledge of figures and bookkeeping, and acquaintance with geography and some instruction in chronology, vocal music, dancing, the reading of history, travels,poetry, and moral essays, and to these were to be added "regular instruction in the Christian religion." However, the purpose of a woman's education was for her to prepare the youth of her time to be guardians of democracy...it was not for her personal betterment. *Indigenous manners and institutions Rush felt that "there had been developing for a considerable time a keen sense of the incongruities of the transplanted manners, customs, and institutions, with American life. These must become indigenous in character in order to assist rather than retard American progress. *Schools to teach forgetting. Rush was so convinced of the problems of copying European institutions that he suggested the need for the establishment of special schools to develop the skill of forgetting. *Liberation of thought and life; Society for Promoting Political Enquiries. This organization labored for the freeing of American thought and for the creation of institutions that would tend to free the thought and life of mankind. *Liberal national support for educated teachers. For any such system of education to go into effect, the nation should provide schools and colleges adequately equipped for national purposes and should provide in these schools and colleges teachers well qualified for their task. The schools and teachers should be so liberally supported that all of the best talent would be attracted into the teaching profession. The system of education that Benjamin Rush advocated demanded training for both men and women for the understanding of the basic principles of democracy, for the understanding of the ways that democracy might be made effective, and for creating an atmosphere and attitude for the maintenance of democratic institutions. Rush's address delivered in 1787 entitled Thoughts Upon Female Education, marks an important turning point in women's education. Rush makes explicit the changes that have gradually transformed American attitudes toward the education of women. The schools were to educate so that the youth would have the experimental attitude and see that the science of government demanded constant improvement and readjustment according to any situation that might arise. The schools were to be supported liberally, and staffed with well trained teachers. Sources used: Liberalism and American Education in the Eighteenth Century, History of the Education of Women, and Benjamin Rush: An Intellectual Biography. Prepared by Emily Wassenhove