Figure 1.--Here we see students outside their rural school at Suches in Union County, Georgia, about 1940. It was the Woody Gap School. Today it is one of the few remaining small rural community schools in the state. Union Country was one of the nost isolated regions of the state, the mountanous north. Source: Georgia Archives.

Most Americans lived in rural areas until the 20th century. Until the late-19th century and the expanding industrialization and urbanization of the country, the rural population was the vast majority of the population. Even so, until the 19th century, most of the schools were in towns and the relatively few cities. At this time, America not only launched one of the first public school system, but building schools in rural areas where most of the population was located. It is difficult to follow all of this visually, but with the invention of photography this becomes possible. It took time for school photography to become important. Early photographic processes (Dags and Ambros) did not permit school photography of any importance, because the prints produced were a one shot affair (1840s-50s). This changed with the albumen process producing negatives that could produced multiple prints in numbers (1860s). The first print type was the CDV, but cabinet cards were larger and thus more suitable for school portraits. School photography soon became an important tradition. We first see images from city schools, but images from rural schools also begin to appear (1880s). Given the Protestant foundation of the country there was a pronounced interest in education even in the colonial era. Bible reading was an important part of the Protestant Reformation. America began as 13 British Atlantic Coast colonies (17th century). We thus inherited British laws and conventions. This meant there was no formal system of public education. Britain in fact would lag behind Germany and several other European countries in establish a system of public education. As a result there was no colonial system of public education. There were, however many ways as in England that children were educated, mostly at their parents expense. These included: parent paid tuition and charitable contributions. Schools began to appear in towns and cities. These included church schools, traveling school masters, charity schools, fee paying boarding schools, dame schools, tutoring, home schooling, and apprenticeships. As the individual colonies developed, much more attention was given to schooling in the northern colonies than the southern colonies because of greater Protestant foundation in the North and Anglican foundation in the South (18th century). Some Northeastern towns and cities by the time of the Revolution (1776-81) had begin establishing publicly funded schools. This was, however, far from the norm. There were not many public schools or rural schools either in the colonial period or the early Republican Era. Nor were the states yet playing an important role. Even so a huge step toward both was taken by the much maligned Articles of Confederation. Congress passed the Land Ordinance (1785) and Northwest Ordinances (1787). This provided that Federal and in new states wold be sold in blocks that included land for a school. This was land where the school could be built and land that could be sold to build the school. The Northwest Ordinances did not cover the southern states. It did not immediately create public schools or rural schools. But it meant that as the Frontier moved west, free schools would be created in rural areas. Then as the Federal Constitutions was ratified (1789), education would be a matter for the states which began establishing public schools. The laws and cultural foundation, however, for building a public school system (19th century). This would be one of the first major steps America took on its own without a British foundation. There would be it would be no national educational system, but rather separate public school systems in each states. And there would be schools in rural areas where most Americans lived. Important figures like John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, and others advocated for publicly funded schools, but this was a relatively new concept and would take time to build out and take hold. This process was aided by all the rural schools being created as a result of the Northwest Ordinances. They would take time to develop, but by the 1830s America had one of the first public school systems in the world. Only the German states had a more developed system. Britain would be a laggard. There was a Southwest Ordinance (1790), but it allowed for the creation of sizeable plantations.

The 18th Century

Most of the schools in the schools in the English colonies were in towns and the relatively few cities. Given the Protestant foundation of the country there was a pronounced interest in education even in the colonial era. Bible reading was an important part of the Protestant Reformation. America began as 13 British Atlantic Coast colonies (17th century). We thus inherited British laws and conventions. This meant there was no formal system of public education. Britain in fact would lag behind Germany and several other European countries in establish a system of public education. As a result there was no colonial system of public education. There were, however many ways as in England that children were educated, mostly at their parents expense. These included: parent paid tuition and charitable contributions. Schools began to appear in towns and cities. These included church schools, traveling school masters, charity schools, fee paying boarding schools, dame schools, tutoring, home schooling, and apprenticeships. As the individual colonies developed, much more attention was given to schooling in the northern colonies than the southern colonies because of greater Protestant foundation in the North and Anglican foundation in the South (18th century). Some Northeastern towns and cities by the time of the Revolution (1776-81) had begin establishing publicly funded schools. This was, however, far from the norm. After the Revolution (1776-83), America launched one of the first public school system. America and Germany led the world in public education. The American system was designed to included children in rural areas because that is where most people lived. The Germans had village schools. Americans had actual rural schools. There were no Federal schools, schools were organized by the local communities and eventually the states. What the Federal Government did was to provide the basis for financing schools. This led to building schools in rural areas where most of the population was located. There were not many public schools or rural schools either in the colonial period or the early Republican Era. Nor were the states yet playing an important role. Even so a huge step toward both was taken by the much maligned Articles of Confederation. Congress passed the Northwest Ordinances (1785-87). This provided that Federal land in new states wold be sold in blocks that provided for a school. This was land where the school could be built and land that could be sold to build the school. This meant that children from the very birth of the Republic had access to free public education, even in rural areas. The principal of free public education was well established in America at a time when the British conceived of public education as dangerous or only appropriate as charity schools for indigents. In contrast, in the United States a portion of each parcel of land was reserved to finance a public school. As a result, as the frontier moved west, public schools were automatically financed from the initial settlement of the new lands. The Northwest Ordinances did not cover the southern states. It did not immediately create public schools or rural schools. But it meant that as the Frontier moved west, free schools would be created in rural areas. Then as the Federal Constitutions was ratified (1789), education would be a matter for the states which began establishing public schools.

The 19th Century

Until the late-19th century and the expanding industrialization and urbanization of the country, the rural population was the vast majority of the population. The laws and cultural foundation existed for building a public school system (19th century). This would be one of the first major steps America took on its own without a British foundation. There would be it would be no national educational system, but rather separate public school systems in each states. And there would be schools in rural areas where most Americans lived. Important figures like John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, and others advocated for publicly funded schools, but this was a relatively new concept and would take time to build out and take hold. This process was aided by all the rural schools being created as a result of the Northwest Ordinance. They would take time to develop, but by the 1830s America had one of the first public school systems in the world. Only the German states had a more developed system. Britain would be a laggard. It is difficult to follow all of this visually, but with the invention of photography this becomes possible. The South developed differently. Plantations were allowed to develop rather than restricting the land for family farms. And the slave-holding planters that came to dominate the ante-bellow South refused to approve funding for an important public school system. This was especially notable in rural areas. And the South was by far the most rural of the various American regions. As a result, illiteracy was much much higher in the South than in the North and here we are only talking about whites. In southern states, it was illegal to educate slave children. It took time for school photography to become important. Early photographic processes (Dags and Ambros) did not permit school photography of any importance, because the prints produced were a one shot affair (1840s-50s). This changed with the albumen process producing negatives that could produced multiple prints in numbers (1860s). The first print type was the CDV, but cabinet cards were larger and thus more suitable for school portraits. School photography soon became an important tradition. We first see images from city schools, but images from rural schools also begin to appear (1880s). And from this point on there is a substantial photographic record of American schools, both city and rural schools. The Homestead Act (1862) again ensured that schools would be be established as Americans began moving west of the Mississippi River. It meant that the vast majority of American children were being educated when most countries still did not have public schools. And the quality of the education steadily improved as the states increased teacher qualification standards. These schools were primary level schools up to 8th grade. It needs to be mentioned that the academic quality of education these children received were better than what many children are now receiving in the big Democratic cities of modern America. These were very basic but not failing schools.

The 20th Century

The school experience at the turn of the 20th century continued to be different in rural and urban schools. The majority although declining majority of the population still lived in rural areas. This was largely because rural and urban life was so separate and different. It was not all that easy for farm and other rurla people to get into town. Even if farm families only lived a few miles out of town getting there required the laborious process of hitching up the buckboard or wagon and a slow trip into town. Most farmers lived longer distance from the town. Rural and urban school kids want to separate schools meaning their friends were also rural or urban. And their life experiences were very different. The isolation meant that it was very difficult for farm kids to advance academically beyond the 8-year primary program offered at most rural schools. The first major step reducing the isolation of rural America was made by industrialist Henry Ford who introduced the Model-T Ford. It was a car that farmers could afford and made trips into the city much more viable. Rural schools continued to be important in the 1910s-20s. It was in 1920 that America finally made the transition to a majority urban population. Most American children attended these small rural schools until the 1920s when the the country first reported a a majority urban population. Commonly rural teachers had only a few children to teach. As a result, states began consolidating schools and bussing rural children to more economic larger schools. Rural schools continued to be important (1920s-30s), but by the end of the 1930s this was changing. This began to change in the 1930s as school districts for budgetary reasons began closing small rural schools. School authorities throughout the country were closing small rural schools as they were expensive to operate, especially schools with less than 20 children. States as a result began bussing the children into consolidated schools in towns. This only began reaching important levels in the 30s and was carried out in a major way during the 1940s. Almost all rural schools had been closed by 1950. It needs to be stressed that this was not done to improve educational standard. It was a cost cutting measure. A major impact of this was for the first time to give rural kids access to secondary schools for the first time. It was once possible to identify rural children by how they dressed, but by 1950 this was no longer possible. Going to school together was not the only factor. Hollywood and the movies were also a factor. And we can see all of this in the photographic record. Rural kids began dressing like city kids. They did not want to be called hicks.

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Created: 9:57 PM 6/12/2023
Last updated: 2:09 AM 12/16/2023