header by Emerson Taymor, 2005
1. The Colonial Era: 1607-1763
2. The Revolutionary Era:
1763-1789
3. The Early National Period:
1789-1824
4. Jacksonian America: 1824-1848
5. Antebellum America: 1848-1860
6. The Civil War Era: 1861-1877
7. The Gilded Age: 1877-1901
8. Progressivism: 1901-1920
9. The Twenties
10. Depression and New Deal: 1929-1939
11. World War II: 1939-1945
12. Early Cold War: 1945-1963
13. Social Ferment: 1945-1960
14. The Sixties
15. The Seventies and After
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The Old Deluder Act (1647)
It being one chief project of that
old deluder, Satan, to keep men from the knowledge of the Scriptures, as
in former times by keeping them in an unknown tongue, so in these latter
times by persuading from the use of tongues, that so that at least the true
sense and meaning of the original might be clouded and corrupted with false
glosses of saint-seeming deceivers; and to the end that learning may not
be buried in the grave of our forefathers, in church and commonwealth, the
Lord assisting our endeavors.
It is therefore ordered that every township in this jurisdiction, after the
Lord hath increased them to fifty households shall forthwith appoint one
within their town to teach all such children as shall resort to him to write
and read, whose wages shall be paid either by the parents or masters of such
children, or by the inhabitants in general, by way of supply, as the major
part of those that order the prudentials of the town shall appoint; provided
those that send their children be not oppressed by paying much more than
they can have them taught for in other towns.
And it is further ordered, that when any town shall increase to the number
of one hundred families or householders, they shall set up a grammar school,
the master thereof being able to instruct youth so far as they may be fitted
for the university, provided that if any town neglect the performance hereof
above one year that every such town shall pay 5 pounds to the next school
till they shall perform this order.
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