Education is a social organization through which a community educates its members and instills knowledge, and behaviors they need to assimilate to become productive members of the society; thus, education is an essential segment of social interactions. There are two types of education: formal education, which involves going to school; and informal education, which typically happens at home with guardians as instructors. The essay describes the history of American education.
Education in America was mainly informal during the colonial time. Massachusetts needed guardians to train their children to read, and cities were required to have elementary schools where children were taught how to read and write. Children from good socio-economic backgrounds went to school; however, other children joined later. Black Americans who were not rich were eliminated from formal education, and girls were required to attain informal education at home.
In the mid-1800s, compulsory education was introduced and became popular by the end of the century; this was significant progress as children from all socio-economic backgrounds could attend school. It also helped to unite the state after the revolutionary warfare. Compulsory education was only in primary and secondary schools, and only a few people from good socio-economic backgrounds made it to colleges.
In summary, American education was largely informal, and only wealthy white boys were allowed to get a formal education. The introduction of compulsory schooling allowed every child, regardless of socio-economic background, to attain primary and secondary education. Compulsory education also helped to unite the state after the revolutionary warfare.