civilwarprojectmills

Education During the Civil War











During the Civil War there were only a few states that provided public education, but local churches started schools for their community. The school schedules were dictated by the agricultural economy in both the North and the South. If a child was needed for work in the fields students were excused for months at a time. In modern day schools still practice this during summer break, where as now students can spend time with family, friends and vacation. Unlike the modern schools, classes during the Civil war were small and a number of grade levels would be taught in the same room. Students were tested orally where the child had to memorize and recite their lessons. A phrased used today “toeing the line” refers to the how the children used to stand in a line while reciting their lessons. Punishment in the school was not only used, but encouraged. Many parents asked teachers to discipline their child while in school so that they would learn to follow directions and obey from people other than their parents. Lucy Chase traveled south to teach free blacks and many parents requested her to whip their child during school if they acted out of term. Students during the Civil War also did not attend school as long as modern day students do. By the fifth year of school the material students were reading was at the level of todays college level. There were other choices than public school for the children during this time, another choice was to enroll in an academy, which was often more expensive than a family could afford. Academies provided intensive educational experiences for both boys and girls from ages thirteen to twenty. Academies in the south disciplined boys by putting them through a military-type training preparing them for the military service. Later the boys would fight in the war and sometimes even in the same combat as their teachers or officers during their military school. Below the video will show you the life of soldiers during the Civil War.

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"Education during the 1860s." Civil War Trust. N.p., 2014. Web. 16 Sept. 2015. .
 * Work Cited: **

"Building the Black Community." America's Reconstruction. N.p., 2003. Web. 16 Sept. 2015. .