1. What does the “city on the hill” refer to?Puritans went to the New World to establish a true Biblical Commonwealth settlement in the Massachusetts Bay. Puritans believed in a theocracy, where religious men ruled. The Puritans cameto the New World to practice their own religious beliefs, but were not tolerant of those that differed from their own. They wanted their settlement to serve as an example to England and the rest of the world of a godly society toward ultimate salvation. They based their settlement and society on the premise that humankind could only be saved through the grace of God.2. What did the Puritans believe about education?Puritans believed that reading the Bible was a Christian’s sacred duty, and in order to do this, everyone must be able to read. This literacy and education was a religious and civic necessity because they had to uphold their goals of being the “city on a hill,” showing how to light the path to salvation. They prioritized education and realized that it was more than a familial or private concern, thus they built schools. This took education out of the hands of families and parents. The Puritans also saw the importance of college to further their religious values and build up more trained leaders.3. What was the “old deluder Satan” law?This law was established by the General Court of the Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1647. The law stated that each town containing fifty or more households had to offer reading and writing instruction. It said that each town with one hundred or more households needed to provide instruction in reading, writing, and Latin grammar so that students would be prepared for attending universities. Additionally, towns of specific sizes needed to establish elementary and secondary schools. The purpose of this legislation was to ensure that the word of God and the laws from it would remain the birth right of every inhabitant of the Biblical Commonwealth.4. When and why was Harvard College founded?The Harvard College was founded in 1636 because college was a necessity if their vision of creatinga Biblical Commonwealth was to be achieved. They needed to educate the next generation to prepare for if their trained leaders ran out. The Puritans wanted to ensure that there would be more rising leaders to continue teaching their religious views.5. What are “pure little democracies”?Pure little democracies were district or village schools that were controlled by the local community. Towns were established for school purposes only and exercised complete control overthe school and its quality of education. Their local control was exercised through responsibilities such as levying taxes, determining the length of the school term, and maintaining the schoolhouse. The pure little democracies were structured around the schoolhouse because it was the only public, multipurpose facility in the district. It was used for political, social, and religious events and functioned as a community center that represented the pride and identity of the communities.6. What was the importance of Noah Webster’s Blue Back Speller?Noah Webster created a spelling book called the Blue Back Speller in 1783. The Speller used language as a unifier to create identity and national pride. The speller spanned geographic, generational boundaries and established the standard for American spelling and common language. Everyone learned the same words, pronunciations, and moral lessons. Ultimately, the speller broke down the regional differences among people that spanned different backgrounds, classes, and religions. People from different areas no longer felt inferior because they all had common speech and language now. The speller made things easier because spelling was simplified and the meaning of words was explained with American examples.7. What is the significance of the spelling bee?After Noah Webster established a standard for spelling words in American English, district schools began holding spelling bees. The spelling bee was held once or twice a term, and it excited both students and adults. The spelling bee became a social event for the whole community at the schoolhouse. It suggested that genuine equality as possible based on a person’s ability to read, write, and speak in the same way, though they may come from a different location. This event brought people together and established both local and national pride.8. What was the purpose(s) of the common school?The purpose of the common school was to create a statewide system of schooling and decrease the prejudice and hatred that existed between the new immigrants and current inhabitants who were moving towards private education. The common school’s purpose was also to combat the evils of urbanization, industrialization, and immigration. The common school was supposed to provide all children with the knowledge and skills necessary to be successful in a new, industrialized world. The common school was supposed to be free (supported by taxes), open and attractive to all, teach the basic skills (the 3 R’s), and teach common Protestant values.9. Why was language important then and now?Language was and is important because it trivializes differences and lessens contempt for others. The United States were settled by emigrants from all different parts of Europe, so language helped bring all these people together. Language creates a common standard and mode for communication. Language establishes national and local identities, and allows people to record events and discoveries. It also allows us the pleasures of reading, conversing, communicating with precision, and speaking and writing with ease and correctness.10. What is meant by the statement “Asserting that ‘men are cast iron, but children are wax,’Mann enthusiastically embarked upon his new mission.” (Johnson and Reed, p. 85)This quote was said by Horace Mann, who advocated for the common school as a means of providing all children with the same common knowledge. He meant that children can be influencedand their minds can be molded just like wax, while adults are set in their ways and are unlikely to change, just like hard iron. Mann wanted to make excellent public schools and change future generations. In order to cure the ills of the new industrialized nation, he wanted to start out with establishing common schools where everyone learned the same thing. Educating children equally was the first way to improve society because