This chapter showed a lot about the origins of the school system in America. I was not surprised by much of the views on Native Americans or Irish immigrants, because I have read and discussed these topics often in other classes. What did strike me from this chapter was the fact that the Anglo-Saxon views that dominated the culture of the time was not originally forced upon people with laws such as segregation. I always assumed that our country began its school system with segregation as a plan, but from the reading I found out that this is not the case. All were welcome (by law) to attend any school they wish, but most people who did not fit the typical Anglo-Saxon profile would avoid schooling to either work or just to save themselves from the rejection and potential danger of attending class. On top of this I found it interesting that to resolve this problem people of color actually asked for a separate school for themselves, and out of this “solution” rose segregation as a legal problem.
Regarding the forceful moving of the Native Americans and the trail of tears I thought the most surprising thing was Thomas Jefferson’s view that it was acceptable to do this, because it civilizes them is very self-centered. It is funny to think that people who founded and established a country of immigrants built on the ideals of freedom could be so one-track minded.
Some things I would like to ask about the reading are, do you think that if different groups did not request their own segregated schools they would have ever been able to adapt to the already established public school system?
Also, Do you think it is possible to preach religious morals and beliefs without preaching the religion itself? Is this a conflict of interest for the teachers to try to instill morals of their own or others beliefs, while at the same time not favoring either.
