Reading, Ritin', and Rithmetic

The settlers of the Old Northwest did not neglect education.  Settlers from the South were mostly illiterate.  Any respectable pioneer, even those with a pretense of respectability wanted to give their children an opportunity to learn to read and write.  Wherever a half a dozen families lived reasonably close together, a log schoolhouse was built as soon as possible.

In the days before public funds existed for support of education, teachers were paid usually by crops grown by the students' parents.  A bushel of corn, tomatoes, cabbage...or even a couple of squirrels fresh from the woods were accepted. 

Sometimes a wandering schoolmaster would be hired for two or three months during the winter. Teachers would "board around" among the residents and in a prosperous town even received a small amount of additional wage.

More often one of the settlers who was fortunate enough to possess enough basic learning would teach in the months between the autumn corn-gathering and the spring plowing and planting.  Basic learning included basic reading, ciphering and writing.  A fortunate community had someone who could speak German or French, even algebra, Latin or astronomy.

Schoolbooks were few and costly, slates were homemade from pieces of shale and pencils were crafted from soapstone found in nearby stream beds.  Penmanship was important and practiced on long winter nights by candlelight.  Ciphering was mostly by rote memory and math games were played by the whole family.

It was in such a school under such learning that America's 16th president, Abraham Lincoln was educated.  Many of those in the early 20th century still attended one room schoolhouses.
For a look at the duties of a schoolmaster see our earlier post: Rules for 1872 Teachers

Next time...Tecumseh
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Today in Pioneer History:  "On April 29, 1854, Ashmun Institute, the first college found entirely for African-Americans is chartered in southern Chester County, Pennsylvania.  The college was named after Jehudi Ashmun, the U.S, agent who helped reorganize and preserve the struggling black colony in Africa that later grew into the independent nation of Liberia.