Frances "Fanny" Wright's observations about American education during her tour of America, 1818-20.
In a letter from Albany, New
York, in July 1819, Wright makes her first significant comments about education
in Views of Society and Manners in
America (1821). She writes, first, about the enormous significance of
education in a democracy—especially a fledgling one like America’s.
To
enlighten the mind of the American citizen, she writes, is,
therefore, a matter of national importance. And she hurries to add that this education is not left to chance.
She sees that in this union of knowledge
with liberty lies the strength of America.[1] She then moves on to other
topics—including the astonishing scenery in upstate New York.
Later, she makes a sharp,
education-related comment now and then. In August 1819, for example (from
Geneseo, NY), she writes: Among the
ignorant, one fool can work more harm than twenty wise men can work good ….[2]
Throughout, I noticed, she
seemed determined to praise Americans. (What
country before, she asks, was ever
rid of so many evils?[3])
She saw such hope here, even though
she raged against our failures, as well—especially slavery. And women’s rights,
though she comments at one point—excessively so, perhaps—that it is impossible for women to stand in higher
estimation than they do here.[4]
But it’s in her letter from New
York City (March 1820) that she expatiates most fully—and most
enthusiastically, even passionately—about American schooling. She begins
bluntly: The education of youth, which
may be said to form the basis of American government, is in every state of the
Union made a national concern.
In Connecticut, she writes, she
saw a group of children heading to school, and what she observes is almost
amusing in its contrast to what Jaques, in Shakespeare’s As You Like It, says in his celebrated “All the world’s a stage
speech”—the line about “the whining school-boy, with his satchel / And shining
morning face, creeping like snail / Unwillingly to school.”
This is not what Wright sees, no whining, unwilling lads.
She writes about the children, neatly
dressed, with their satchels on their arms and their faces blooming with health
and cheerfulness, dropping their courtesy to the passenger as they trooped to
school.[5]
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