ABSTRACT
By the early 1800s, with the exception of Franklin-style academies and some private schools, little had actually changed in terms of subject matter and teaching pedagogy. No standardization of curriculum existed in the government-supported supposedly universal network of common schools so that each individual teacher-and there was usually only one-did his or her own thing, focusing on the basics-reading, spelling, writing, and sometimes arithmetic. Another problem during this period was the fact that 80% of the population still lived in a rural setting, spread across the countryside. So, which was the best location for the common school established to serve these children? Also, schools were open only periodically. In northern states weather frequently forced their closure during the winter. In summer, planting and harvesting took precedence in all states.
