Horace Mann

Liked and disliked in equal measure, Horace Mann (1796–1859) disrupted the nineteenth-century educational, political, and social status quo. As the advocate for universal public education and quality teacher training, Mann brought to the public’s attention the moral and financial imperative to advance the human race through the education of all children, not simply those with the means to afford it. Best known for developing the six principles of education, Mann maintained that (a) a free citizenry is incompatible with ignorance; (b) education should be paid for and controlled by the public; (c) education should be provided in schools, to students from all backgrounds; (d) education must be nonsectarian; (e) education must be taught using tenets of a free society; and finally, (f) this education must be given by well-trained teachers. Mann’s arguments, issues, and questions remain as prevalent today as they did in the 1800s. This chapter will examine the underlying influences and motivations of Mann’s theories, actions, and subsequent contributions to the field of education while also addressing the legacies and ideas yet to see fruition.