author
Horace Mann
1796–1859
A driving force behind the rise of public education in the United States, this reformer argued that schooling should be free, broadly available, and taught by well-prepared teachers. His life joined politics, moral conviction, and a lasting belief that education could strengthen democracy.
1 Audiobook
Slavery: letters and speeches
by Horace Mann
About the author
Born in Franklin, Massachusetts, in 1796, Horace Mann rose from a childhood of poverty and limited formal schooling to become one of the best-known advocates of public education in 19th-century America. After studying at Brown University, he worked in law and politics before turning his energy toward school reform.
As secretary of the Massachusetts Board of Education, he pushed for what became known as the common school movement: free, nonsectarian public schools open to all children. He argued for better school buildings, longer terms, improved curriculum, and stronger training for teachers, helping shape ideas that became central to American public education.
Mann also served in the U.S. House of Representatives and later became the first president of Antioch College in Ohio. He died in 1859, but his reputation as a leading champion of universal public schooling has endured ever since.