A Tale of Two Colonies

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“One of the next things we longed for and looked after was to advance Learning and perpetuate it to Posterity.”

- New England’s First Fruits, 1643

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Among seventeenth century groups the Puritans had a unique interest in education that still influences the character of Massachusetts and the United States.

A photo of The John Harvard statue — **The John Harvard statue**
John Harvard, a relatively obscure minister, left books and a sum of money to help establish a college.
*- by Daniel Chester*

Public Education

A photograph of an old document fostering Literacy — *Public schools will be established by law to foster literacy, “It being one of the chief projects of that old deluder Satan to keep men from knowledge of the Scriptures” 1647.*
*- Massachusetts Archives*

Believing that people should be able to read the Bible, Massachusetts Puritans established public schools. Each town of 50 families was required to open a public school. Each town with 100 families was mandated to establish a “grammar school” that would teach Latin and Greek to prepare students for college. Boston Latin School was founded in 1635 – the oldest public school in America. Widespread literacy would have the long term effect of promoting democracy.

Harvard College
English Puritans lamented the ignorance of Anglican clergy and favored a rigorous program of education for ministers. Cambridge University was an important center of Puritan sentiment and several leaders in the Massachusetts Bay Colony were alumni. Scholars studied the Bible in Hebrew, Greek and Aramaic and questioned practices and interpretations not found in scripture. For the training of ministers and colony leaders Harvard College was founded in 1636, the oldest American institution of higher education.

Then and Now
Recently Reuters ranked Harvard and MIT among the top three universities in the world for innovation. Stanford was first.

Portrait of Caleb Cheeshahteaumuck, a member of the Wampanoag tribe and the first Native American to graduate from Harvard College, painted by Stephen Coit in 2010. — **Caleb Cheeshahteaumuck**
of the Wampanoag nation was the first Native American graduate of Harvard in 1665. His portrait was painted by Stephen Coit as part of a portraiture diversity initiative at the university.
*- Image used with permission of the artist, Stephen Coit. All rights reserved*

The Indian College . . .

A photograph of two young female students participating in the Excavations at Harvard Yard

Excavations Harvard . . .

First Bible . . .

First in Education

Among seventeenth century groups the Puritans had a unique interest in education that still influences the character of Massachusetts and the United States.