Today though, we've put together a collection of blog posts and exhibits done at the State Library over the years highlighting the important role Massachusetts has played in the history of education in our country. We were the home to the first school in the colonies after all! We also established the Common School, which is today’s version of a public school, and Massachusetts is home to the first school for the blind.
Click on the links below to learn more about education in the Commonwealth through our blog posts and digital exhibits!
Back to school in the Commonwealth
This blog post features items in our collections that help tell the story of the history of education in Massachusetts. You’ll see an image of the first Latin School, learn about the development of what is now called the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, and discover the precursor to Braille. There are also links to reports, manuals, and newsletters published by the Executive Office of Education.
Back to School: a Retrospective View of Education in Massachusetts
This blog post links to a digital exhibit put together by State Library staff in 2016. As the blog says, it “traces the history of education in the Commonwealth, starting with the first school-related legislation in 1642 through the Boston busing crisis of the early 1970s.” Get ready to take a deep dive into the history of education in Massachusetts as told through the State Library’s collections, spanning centuries!
Massachusetts Textile Schools
While many people tend to think of education in the traditional public school and university sense, we wanted to highlight another type of education. Did you know that at one time, Massachusetts was the home to three textile schools where students learned about cotton manufacturing, chemistry and dyeing, and knitting? This blog post tells the story of three textile institutes that were opened in New Bedford, Lowell, and Fall River at the end of the 19th century and into the 20th century.
Questions? Want to see some of the items referenced in these blog posts up close? Email us or call us at 617-727-2590. We also have display cases in the reading room filled with education-related resources from our collections, so be sure to stop in the library in room 341 of the State House before the end of the month!
Jessica Shrey
Legal Research Reference Librarian
