Thomas Jefferson's involvement with and support of education is best known through his founding of the University of Virginia, which he established in 1819 as a secular institution after he left the presidency of the United States. Jefferson believed that libraries and books were so integral to individual and institutional education that he designed the university around its library.
In 1779, in "A Bill for the More General Diffusion of Knowledge," Jefferson proposed a system of public education to be tax-funded for 3 years for "all the free children, male and female," which was an unusual perspective for the time period. They were allowed to attend longer if their parents, friends, or family could pay for it independently.
In his book Notes on the State of Virginia (1785), Jefferson had scribed his ideas for public education at the elementary level. Charles F. Mercer authored a report in the state legislature in 1816 calling for state supported primary schooling for all white children. Supervision was to be provided by a state Board of Public Instruction, chosen by the legislature. In 1817, his bill passed the lower house but died in the state senate. Jefferson opposed the plan because heavy funding for primary schools would divert money from his beloved state university, and the plan would replace local control by state control.[1][2]
In 1817 he proposed and won passage of a plan for a university of Virginia to be named "Central College". The university was to be the capstone, available to only the best selected students. The state provided only $15,000 a year and Virginia did not establish free public education in the primary grades until after the Civil War under the Reconstruction era legislature.[3]
^Thomas Hunt, "MERCER, CHARLES FENTON" in Richard J. Altenbaugh, ed. Historical dictionary of American education (1999) p. 230.
^ On Jefferson's letter in opposition see Alfred J. Morrison, The beginnings of public education in Virginia, 1776-1860; study of secondary schools in relation to the state Literary fund (1917) pp 34-35 and Dumas Malone, Jefferson and His Time: vol 6 The Sage of Monticello (1977) pp. 251-253.
^Malone, Jefferson and His Time: vol 6 The Sage of Monticello (1977) pp. 267-282.
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