The Evolution of Curriculum, Part Three

Americanization Movement

From the Civil War to the early Twentieth Century the Common School movement was tweaked and transformed based on the needs of a growing country. While the United States had always been a country of immigrants, the numbers entering the country from 1880 to 1917 dwarfed any previous increase. This influx along with the changing nature of society and technology changed public education.

The term "Americanization" is used by historians and social scientists to describe the process by which new immigrants from different cultures, various religions, and a multitude of languages become Americans. Public education played a key role in that process. The results for schools was supplementing traditional instruction in reading, writing and arithmetic with lessons in US History, government, and the free enterprise system. Such a "patriotic" curriculum might cause serious debate even outrage today, but both Republicans and Democrats, along with traditionalists and progressives approved of this approach back then. The only opposition came from nativist groups that opposed all immigration and any program allowing for their assimilation, and from religious (Protestant primarily) extremists who were fearful of the impact the rise in Catholic and Jewish immigration would have on society.

Support for Americanization was wide spread because it meshed with the social concept that we now call the Melting Pot Theory. To maintain a national identity from the inclusion of so many cultures, government and cultural forces pushed for the immediate assimilation of immigrants. To survive new immigrants had to learn English and to gain citizenship they had to demonstrate a basic understanding of the history, government, and economy of their adopted country. So the Americanization movement in education resulted from the Melting Pot Theory.

Accompanying the Americanization movement was the rise of a true K-12 curriculum in public schools. Prior to the Civil War any student desiring education beyond grammar school had few options. Some had private tutors and others went to "prep" schools. At that time any post-grammar schooling was designed to prepare young people for college. The new curricular requirements led to more years in public schools, including a dramatic increase in high schools. A curricular foundation was built in the earlier grades and then developed in high school with more "specialized" courses that included the subjects listed earlier and even instruction in Latin, logic, biology, advanced math, and physical education. One influencing factor tin the growth of K-12 was the increase in job opportunities, many technical but not requiring a college degree.

The Americanization movement was influenced by changes at the collegiate level and in the teaching profession. Academic organizations composed primarily of college and university faculty began to promote curricular changes at the public school level. For example both the American Historical Association and Organization of American Historians published recommended courses of study for grade schools. Also, the National Education Association began to take a more active role in curricular mapping (determining a sequence of courses) and curricular development.

While the Americanization idea has never disappeared and can still be seen in public schools, it has faded as "new" educational theories gained popularity, like those of John Dewey, the topic of the next part of this series.

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