Beginnings of Early Colleges

I'm really curious about the history of education. Why did early colleges start in the first place? Was there a specific reason or need that led to their establishment?

Great question! Early colleges, particularly in the U.S., started in the 17th century and drew inspiration from European educational institutions, specifically those in England. The primary function of these early colleges was training ministers for religious purposes.

For instance, Harvard, the oldest college in the U.S., was founded in 1636 by the Massachusetts Bay Colony who believed that the colony needed well-educated ministers and that the Bible required an educated clergy. That's why Harvard initially emphasized learning Latin and Greek to read the Old and New Testaments in their original languages.

Similar trends continued throughout the 18th century with almost all Ivy League colleges originally having close ties with religious denominations. For example, Yale was established to provide competition to Harvard in training Congregationalist ministers. In these institutions, classic liberal arts training was emphasized, in which students were taught critical thinking, logic, and classical languages.

Over time, the idea of higher education expanded beyond religious training. Increasing secularization and the growth of scientific knowledge and other academic disciplines led to colleges broadening their curricula to include a wider range of subjects.

With the passing of the Morrill Act in the 19th century, many "land grant" colleges were established. These institutions were focused on teaching practical subjects like agriculture and engineering, along with military tactics, as a response to the industrial revolution and the changing social and economic needs of the society. Then throughout the 20th century and into the 21st, higher education has continued to evolve to meet societal needs, such as research and professional studies.

So, in summary, the establishment of early colleges was primarily motivated by religious needs and the higher ideals of creating an educated society. These institutions evolved over centuries to adapt to changing societal requirements and continue to do so.