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  • Essay / Historical and Contemporary Perspectives on Homeschooling

    In early America, schooling was taught at home by an educated parent or guardian. Public schools did not exist in America until the mid-1800s, leaving families to educate their children at home. When public schools were established, they were primarily church-based and focused more on doctrine than academics. It was not until the 1870s that public schools became more government-supported academic institutions. Increasingly, public schools became popular. However, some parents continue to homeschool their children for a variety of reasons. Many American presidents were homeschooled, such as Washington, Adams, Lincoln, and Roosevelt. Even Thomas Edison and Mark Twain were homeschooled. By the 1960s, homeschooling was gaining popularity among groups of New Age philosophers, former hippies, and settlers. It wasn't until 1993 that homeschooling became legal in all fifty states. Before that, many families suffered difficulties due to states requiring attendance at public schools (Wilhelm and Firmin).