Journal Horace Mann: Report of the Massachusetts Board of Education (1848)

Journal Horace Mann: Report of the Massachusetts Board of Education (1848)
Horace Mann gave a speech to the state legislature on the board’s activities. He explained that there are two different types of theories for the ways of life. The European theory is that men are not equal. Men should be divided into social classes and rated as human. It is bold of him to point out that in Europe it was expected that some people would never be able to succeed in life, they worked and labored for nothing while “others to seize and enjoy” (Horace Mann). The class separation in Europe was discouraging and expected throughout Europe. It is scary to look back at the country that we stem from and find such a dark history. The class system that we escarped should have been extreme motivation to present a completely different social class system.
Horace Mann is placing the British theory against the Massachusetts theory. In the Massachusetts theory he explains that it represents equality. The Massachusetts theory shows that “all are to have an equal chance for earning, and equal security in the enjoyment of what they earn” ( Horace Mann). The Massachusetts theory on classes allows for people to move up in the class system. There are no locked in classes like the ones that are set for generation in the British system. It then explains to reach the goal of the Massachusetts system of maintaining a republic it would require the people to have the potential to be equal. The people of the republic should all be able to have a free education, and the possibilities to have a brighter future. To attempt to run the Massachusetts theory without public education “is the most rash and foolhardy experiment ever tried by man…” (Horace Mann). He was applaud to find that people didn’t see the massive problems in that plan. Horace Mann becomes emotional when reaching the republic portion of his speech. He explains his plan for the future. To create the America we claim to have we must have an education system that “… knows no distinction of rich and poor…”(Horace Mann), so that all students have the possibility to succeed. Horace Mann shows great emotion and passion in his speech when explaining the system of educations ideas. He wants America to be all of the equal things that it wishes to represents.

"Horace Mann: Report of the Massachusetts Board of Education (1848)." American History. ABC-CLIO, 2010. Web. 31 Jan. 2010. http://www.americanhistory.abc-clio.com.