More or less rudimentary beginnings of pub lic education are found in the older colonies, as in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Virginia and the Carolinas. In the South, however, the free school idea was not so hospitably received as in New England and in New York. An oft quoted expression by Governor Berkeley of Virginia may be cited. When the English Com missioners of Foreign Plantations asked what course was taken in Virginia for instructing the people in the Christian religion, Governor Berkeley replied, °The same that is taken in England out of towns, every man, according to his ability instructing his children?) He also added, 9 thank God there are no free schools nor printing presses, and I hope we shall not have them these hundred years; for learning has brought disobedience and heresy, and sects into the world, and printing has divulged them and libels against the best of governments: God keep us from both!' So far as Virginia and the remainder of the South were concerned, good Governor Berkeley had his wish, for it was not until after the Civil War that that sec tion of the United States was supplied with any thing like a system of free public schools.
The Revolutionary Period.— In all Euro pean countries at this period, the financial re sponsibility for the education of children was held to belong to the parents, so that neither state nor community, religious or charitable organization, ever desired to make education free, except for children of paupers or others unable to meet the expense. The idea that free schools are only for paupers or the very poor permeated most of the American colonies dur ing the Revolutionary period of American edu cation. Even where the schools were not strictly private, the "rate-bill' for all who could pay was a common device for helping to meet the expenses of the school. This idea prevailed in Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, New York, New Jersey and the South. Some States raised taxes to school the paupers, but they made those pay who could do so. Only in Massachusetts and in the more democratic settlements west of the Alleghany Mountains did the pauper idea of free schools fail to obtain a firm hold upon the people. The fees were collected in various forms. In cities the assessment was usually in money; in country districts both East and West the rate frequently included a period of board for the teacher, who was thus obliged to "board round' among the families of his dis trict. By 1848 all fees were abolished in Rhode Island. They lasted until 1864 in Vermont, 1867 in New York, 1868 in Connecticut and until 1871 in New Jersey.
Development of State From the earliest times in America the responsibility for the support of schools was focused upon the settlement, village or town, never upon the colony, or later upon the State as a political entity. This condition of things lasted well into the first quarter of the 19th century. Since that time, however, there has been a steady advance toward State support, supervision and control of public elementary education. In no State of the American Union has the right to control the public schools been abruptly assumed by State authority; on the contrary, State control has sprung almost spontaneously from natural con ditions, chief among which have been the rapid growth of population and the equally rapid growth of State school funds. The process has
been somewhat as follows: As soon as a given State, say Illinois, had at its disposal a consider able amount of money for annual distribution among the school districts, it was natural that the legislature should lay down the conditions with which the district must comply in order to enjoy such aid. Among the first things pre scribed would naturally be (1) a minimum num ber of days during which the school must be held in session; (2) a course of study that must be taught; (3) the certification of teachers, usually be county authority, but in subjects prescribed by the State. Again, individual com munities, however loath to relinquish the man agement of their own school affairs in their own way, have been obliged to bow to the will of the State, in so far as it saw fit to assert its au thority since the power to levy and collect taxes is derived directly from the State. At present all State constitutions contain provisions relat ing to popular education.
The idea that has everywhere prevailed is that the State should in every way possible stimulate local interest and local effort for the support and improvement of schools, laying its hand of authority only upon those general es sentials of the school system which are indis pensable to efficiency. This is why the American public school system has manifested such astonishing elasticity. Every community can have as good or as poor schools (down to a certain point) as it desires. The salaries may be high or low, the equipment ample or inade quate, the schools backward or progressive as the community wills. Again, this elasticity is felt also within the teaching body, quite aside from the general tone of the community. It is not uncommon to find public sentiment quick ened and elevated by a corps of teachers led by an active and progressive superintendent. The absence of restrictive State control as to subject matter, methods of teaching and school organization opens the door to individual initia tive, and to consequent progress. The inter action of the two influences, that of the State on the one hand, with its general prescriptions and supervision, and that of the local com' munity, on the other, with its power of adjust ment to circumstances, makes the American school system the most perfect adaptation to democratic needs that is to be found in the world. Any civilized European system main tains standards with respect to given par ticulars that the American public school as a whole can by no means measure up to; but it may be confidently asserted that no European system, however excellent, could, if put into op eration in an American State, produce results so wholesome and excellent as those that come from the present system.