A 1642 Massachusetts law required parents to provide their children with enough education to be able to read at least a portion of the Bible to keep the devil from capturing their souls. It led to the colony’s 1647 “Old Deluder Satan Act” that required all towns with 50 or more families to provide a teacher and cover their salary. This was the foundation of the public school system in America.
Holland, Josiah Gilbert. Excerpt from Massachusetts School Law of 1647. Samuel Bowles and Company, 1855. Pocumtuck Valley Memorial Association, American Centuries. https://americancenturies.org/collection/l02-143/. Accessed on October 16, 2024.
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