Essay 14-A: The Morrill Act Is Passed In 1862 And The People
John Adams, writing to delegates of the North Carolina Provincial Congress in 1776, forcefully argued that the best form of government is a republic, rooted in virtue. Such a government would provide its citizens with the greatest chance for happiness and the nation with the best hope for stability. Key to this project, Adams believed, was a well-educated population. He put it like this:
“Laws for the liberal education of youth, especially of the lower classes of people, are so extremely wise and useful that to a humane and generous mind, no expense for this purpose would be thought extravagant.”
It was not until 1862, with the passage of the Morrill Land-Grant Acts, that Congress moved to fulfill the Adams vision. This law provided states with federal land, which states could then sell to found colleges dedicated to educating ordinary citizens. Initially, these institutions focused on agricultural and military training. Quickly, though, many of these new schools grew into full universities, where studies focused on the liberal arts and business were just as important as those aimed at farming and ranching.
