Benjamin Rush's plan for a Christian Education in the early American Republic

    

    Private education in Early America, specifically what would be considered today has higher education was tied directly to Christianity. The Ivy league and any other early educational institution would have been sponsored by and run by Christian organizations well passed the early American Republics time period. Dr. Benjamin Rush a founding father and leader in American Education reform was aligned with the concept of Christianity and religions close ties. Benjamin Rush was himself the first chemistry teacher in America at the countries first medical school in Philadelphia. He was the founder of Dickinson College in Carlisle Pennsylvania and one of the founders of Franklin College in Lancaster Pennsylvania (today Franklin and Marshall college). His educational bone fides are well established. He brought with him to the conversation on post revolutionary education the expectation that a useful republican education was also a Christian education. Rush was clear, “That the only foundation for a useful education in a republic is to be laid in Religion.” He goes on to suggest a belief in a  deity and consequences like Confucianism or Muslims is better then no religion but he specifically asserts that a Christian education is of the most benefit for the republic and the nature generation of students.

In the open letters to Philadelphia in 1787 where Rush made his beliefs clear were not part of a debate about private higher education colleges but instead about the idea of free public schools for basic education of the population. Rush’s support of education was not limited to Men either, he advocated for education of women as well. Benjamin Rush’s position on public education encouraged Pennsylvania to found schools of basic instruction for all young people of the commonwealth. He demanded however that to produce good citizens, his republican ideals also demanded that those schools be Christian schools.

Benjamin Rush’s support of education led to a constitutional amendment in Pennsylvania in 1790 which required the establishment of free schools for poor children. Later the Free schools act of 1834 would pass and officially mandate schooling for all children inn the Commonwealth. During this passage concerns were raised by many German and other Christian sects about loosing the control over the education, including religious education of their children. Then State Representative Thaddeus Stevens assured the general assembly that education was essential for this Christian age for this republic. The free education for all Pennsylvanians passed after Dr. Rush was deceased but was done so under his same parameters, that it was necessary for a republic to have a Christian education.

 

Sources:

Hyman Kuritz. "Benjamin Rush: His Theory of Republican Education." History of Education                     Quarterly 7, no. 4 (1967): 432-51.

Longaker, Mark Garrett. Rhetoric and the Republic: Politics, Civic Discourse, and Education in                Early America Tuscaloosa, Ala: University of Alabama Press, 2008.

Rush, Benjamin. The Philadelphia book, or, Specimens of metropolitan literature. Female                         Education. Philadelphia: Key and Biddle, 1836.

Runes, Dagobert D. The Selected Writings of Benjamin Rush. Newburyport: Philosophical               Library, 2015.

Stevens, Thaddeus. Free Schools Act Speech. Journal of Pennsylvania Convention. Harrisburg,                   Pa: Thompson & Clark. 1837.

Parkerson, Donald, and Parkerson, Jo Ann. The Struggle for Public Education: Ten Themes in                    American Educational History. Blue Ridge Summit: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers,                      2017.