Population Density and Amount of Cities
Due to the industrialized, trade-centered Northern economy, the North had many cities. These cities were centers for markets, factories, churches, and trading ports. So, when the education reform begun in the early 1800s, these cities became a natural host for schools and universities. For example, according to collegeplanningadvisors.com, the five oldest univerisities in the U.S, include, in order: Harvard Univerisity (MA), The College of William and Mary (VA), Yale University (CT), Princeton University (NJ), and Columbia University (NY). Four out of five of these univerisities were located in the northern region of the U.S. during the antebellum period.
In contrast, the South, due to its mainly agricultural economy, was made up of self-sufficient plantations instead of cities. These private plantations were owned by wealthy planter families, and tended to by numerous slaves. Therefore, the plantations could support themselves and there was no need for a marketplace or town center. Without a high population density, there were no town school systems. If a family wanted an education, they would simply hire a family tutor on the plantation. In conclusion, the differing population densities in the North and South caused a change in the need of education structures and systems. Cities in the North were perfect locations for a school. In contrast, a sparser South did not need a central school, rather a single tutor or private teacher. This important demographic difference further distincted the use of education in the two regions, increasing the gap as it continued spread. |