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Top 10 Facts about Horace Mann.

Horace Mann introduced new perspectives on American education in the 1830s.

He posited that USA growth required well-educated citizens thus the need for universal free education.

His ideas were slow to catch on because other people believed that children should be introduced to their vocations early to work in factories and that his view of education was a waste of time.

With time his ideas spread throughout the country. He is respected as one of the founders of the American educational system.

He believed education should be funded by the public purse to make it accessible to everyone.

Mann a self-taught man was born in 1786, in Franklin, Massachusetts. His interests span from social reform, education to politics.

Here are 10 facts about Horace Mann.

1. Horace Mann is the Father of Common School.

Horace Mann was a leading light in US educational reform.

He started the reforms in his native Massachusetts.  As the secretary of the Education Board, he improved the quality of instruction.

Furthermore, he aimed to make education available to every citizen regardless of social status, colour or creed.

His belief in common schools was informed by the principles of a free society.

Mann argued that education was responsible for nurturing people with good citizenship willing to participate in democracy thereby ensuring a strong and secure society.

The basic element of common schools was inclusivity and injection of public funding.

Let us look at the Top 10 facts about Horace Mann.

2. Horace Mann is the Father of Teacher Education.

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Horace Mann was not the first to propose state-sponsored teacher education but was the single most important influence in professionalizing teaching.

His journey gained impetus with his 1837 appointment as Secretary of the Massachusetts Board of Education.

As he was pushing for the establishment of the initial normal schools in Massachusetts rural areas, he was alive to the fact that to improve the quality of education there was the need for trained teachers.

He pushed for professional teachers, trained at specialized institutions. All American states adopted his ideas.

3. Mann used to Attend School for Only Six Weeks of the Schooling Year.

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Horace was born to farmer Thomas Mann and Rebecca Stanley Mann.

He grew up in a poverty-stricken family and his parent could only afford to pay for six weeks of the school year.

He made good use of the public library. To help out his family’s financial situation, Mann had to take laborious work that affected his childhood.

Despite the difficult upbringing he hammered on in education from the age of ten to twenty years when he was admitted to Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island.

It was at Brown where his free-thinking was concretized. In yet another feat he completed his studies at brown university in a record three years.

4. Horace Mann Met the Love of His Life at Brown University.

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Mann joined Brown University in his sophomore year.  His worldview and ideas were shaped at Brown.

She met and fell in love with Charlotte Messer the daughter of the president of Brown University.

He married her in 1830. Mann had been devoted to her since his student days when she was only 10 years old.

She, unfortunately, passed on unexpectedly after two years of marriage an event that affected him emotionally.

He remarried after staying widowed for over a decade.

5. Horace Mann was a Fierce Abolitionist.

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Horace Mann was outspoken on the idea that one human being could own another as property.

He toured the country advocating for common education, he also lent his voice to the anti-Slavery Movement.

He delivered powerful speeches condemning slavery. His election to the U.S House of representatives served to amplify his voice on this matter.

He ultimately believed that universal public education had the ability to mitigate and abolish slavery.

6. Horace Mann Uttered the Famous Quote “Be ashamed to die until you have won some victory for humanity!”

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Horace Mann was a radical thinker of his time who devoted time to postulating ways in which humanity could develop without living anyone behind.

In his later years, he took up the Presidency of Antioch College, Ohio.

He impressed upon the young people to look for ways to impact humanity positively. 

In fact, he was accused of converting the students into Unitarianism. He was wholly invested in causes he believed in.

It was during one of the graduations that he uttered the quote above and to this day it is the institution’s motto. 

7. Horace Mann was a Unitarian.

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Unitarianism is one of the denominations in Christianity.  Unitas meaning unity therefore, they do not subscribe to the holy trinity.

They believe that God is a singular entity, unlike the Trinitarians. They do not believe Jesus Christ was the son of God and reject the notion of original sin and eternal damnation for sinners.

Mann subscribed to Unitarianism because it highlighted the search free and responsible search for truth and meaning. 

Thus unitarianism provided a platform of like-minded thinkers with whom he could bounce ideas.

8. Horace Mann Came Up With the Six Principles of Common Education.

Horace Mann Educators Corporation building Photo by Steve Hinricks –

Mann founded and edited The Common School Journal in 1838. In this journal, he focused on public schools and their problems. His six main principles were:

1. the public should no longer remain ignorant;
2. Taxes to pay for free education;
3. Education will be best provided in schools that embrace children from a variety of backgrounds;
4. that this education must be secular;
5. Tenets of  a free society would be taught to all;
6. Instruction should be provided by well-trained, professional teachers.

9. Horace Mann’s Education Reforms Received Opposition.

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Horace Mann ideas were as earlier started ahead of their time.

They were disruptive to the status quo thus eliciting fierce debate and opposition. 

Some bureaucrats, teachers and parents opposed universal education proposals.  

10. Horace Mann Believed in Equality of the Sexes.

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Horace was a man with ideas that were ahead of their time.  In 1853, Mann wrote about his position on gender in his book titled Powers and Duties of Woman.

He opined that the American woman had been denied the chance to explore their intellect at the same level as their male counterparts.

He asserted that there was a need to expand the societal space allocated to women in terms of rights and privileges.

In conclusion, Horace Mann was a catalyst for social change. He was a thought leader in the field of education. 

Several elementary schools in the US  bear his. He was so passionate about his cause that his energy compelled others to buy into his worldview.

Courageously, he spoke for the downtrodden and pursued avenues that would address the situations.