SOC 101 Lecture Notes - Lecture 14: Functional Illiteracy, Racial Integration, Elementary Arithmetic
Document Summary
Thomas jefferson pointed to literacy as the key to making the u. s. a political democracy. Most people were rural and poor, and were unable to read. Women excluded; african americans excluded: education after abolition of slavery and end of the civil war/13th amendment. Late 1800s industrial revolution increased demand for literate workers. Over a million immigrants entering u. s. a year schooling used to give them skills and cultural lessons that would americanize them. Many catholic immigrants wanted to preserve their traditions and faith in a mostly. The catholic church responded by building and operating parochial schools. By 1918, every state had enacted mandatory education until the age of 16 or completion. In 1920, 16. 4% of people age 25 or older had completed high school. In 1920, 3. 3% had a college degree. Officially 99% of population 14 year and over is literate. Could not easily read a newspaper or instructions for operating a machine.
