The documents brought together in this volume attempt to portray education as it existed in North Carolina during the fifty years immediately succeeding 1790. In two former volumes covering this same period an attempt was made to trace the development of the sentiment which led to the passage of our first public school law in 1839. In many ways this volume supplements the material brought together in the Beginnings of Public Education in North Carolina 1790-1840.

No claim is made that these documents are entirely complete. It has been impossible to get first hand information about many schools of the period. However, these documents are representative and typical.

C. L. C.

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EDUCATION IN NORTH CAROLINA 1790-1840

These documents reveal much that is interesting in our educational history. The influence of the University of the State, the kind of teachers who taught the schools and from whence they came, the equipment of the schools as to buildings and furniture, the salaries of teachers, school entertainments, methods of teaching and courses of study, the attempts to establish Lancaster schools, the current ideas of religious education, the beginnings of the denominational colleges, the military school craze, the first law schools, the general resort to lotteries to raise school funds, and the kinds of books sold in the bookstores of the day and the like are the topics which stand out as worthy of the notice of the student of our educational history. I shall try to show how a number of these topics are set forth in these documents, considering each in chronological order.

Influence of the University-These documents contain many evidences of the educational influence of the University of North Carolina, which was opened for students in 1795. As early as 1801, Andrew Flinn, an A.B. graduate of that college, was principal of Hillsboro Academy.1 The next year he was principal of the Fayetteville Academy2, and remained there for several years. In 1803, Bartlett Yancey, an early graduate, was assistant to the principal of Caswell Academy3, where he was supposed to teach the "English Language grammatically." In 1804, Chesley Daniel, another early graduate of the University, was principal of the Raleigh Academy; and Wm. C. Love, a University man, was principal of the Springfield Academy in Caswell5. In 1805, Richard Henderson, another University man, was principal of the Hillsboro Academy, and William Bingham, lately "one of the professors in the University," was principal of the Pittsboro Academy.7

In 1809, John B. Bobbitt was principal of the Westrayville Academy and William Crawford presided over the Warrenton Academy. The Raleigh Star of that time said of Mr. Bobbitt: "No small recommendation of the teacher is that he is a graduate of the University of North Carolina."8

In 1810, Laurel Hill Academy gave notice that its principal was Murdoch McLean, "a graduate of the University of North Carolina."9 During the same year the Raleigh Register said that Rev. Joseph Caldwell, President of the University, honored the Raleigh Academy with presence during a part of the examination.10

his

In 1815, Laurel Hill Academy gave notice that "students will be prepared for any grade in the University,"11 while Tarboro Academy announced that Robert Hall, a graduate of the University, was its principal.12 The same year Williamsboro Academy announced that An

1P. 280. P. 61. 1P. 77.

*P. 19. P. 391. P. 29. P. 281. P. 37. P. 263. P. 343. 10P. 420. 11P. 344.