History of Education Quarterly · 1968 · 13 citations · 0 references
Social SciencesHigher EducationPolitical ScienceAmerican PoliticsFederalismPolitical HistoryHistory Of EducationState AidCongressional AuthorityFederal Aid DistributionFederal Education AidHigher Education ExpenditureHigher Education LegislationMorrill ActsPublic Lands AccessPublic Provision Of Education
ON DECEMBER 14, 1857, a Vermont Whig rose from his seat in the national House of Representatives and asked leave of his colleagues introduce a bill donating public lands to the several states and territories which may provide colleges for the benefit of agriculture and the mechanic arts. (i) Justin Morrill thus began a legislative debate over federal aid to higher education that has lost little of its heat and few of its basic propositions in subsequent contests. This paper is an effort to examine the nature of the arguments that appeared in one of the earliest phases of the struggle. Some description of Morrill's proposal and the context of the debate seems in order before proceeding.