Massachusetts School Law 1642
This Cort,
taking into consideration the great neglect of many parents & masters in
training up their children in learning & labor, & other implyments which may be proffitable
to the common wealth, do hereupon order and decree, that in euery
towne ye chosen men appointed for managing the prudentiall affajres of the same
shall henceforth stand charged with the care of the redresse
of this evill, so as they shalbee
sufficiently punished by fines for the neglect thereof, upon presentment of the
grand jury, or other information or complaint in any Court within this
jurisdiction; and for this end they, or the greater number of them, shall have
power to take account from time to time of all parents and masters, and of
their children, concerning their calling and implyment
of their children, especially of their ability to read & understand the
principles of religion & the capitall lawes of this country, and to impose fines upon such as
shall refuse to render such accounts to them when they shall be required; and
they shall have power, with consent of any Court or the magistrate, to put
forth apprentices the children of such as they shall (find) not to be able
& fitt to employ and bring them up.
They shau
take ... that boyes and girles
be not suffered to converse together, so as may occasion any wanton, dishonest,
or immodest behavior; & for their better performance of this trust
committed to them, they may divide the towne amongst
them, appointing to every of the said townesmen a certaine number of families to have special oversight of.
They are also to provide that a sufficient quantity of materialls,
as hemp, flaxe, ecra, may
be raised in their severall townes,
& tooles & implements provided for working
out the same; & for their assistance in this so needfull
and beneficiah imploymt, if
they meete wth any
difficulty or opposition wch they cannot weU master by their own power, they may have recorse to some of the matrats,
who shall take such course for their help & incuragmt
as the occasion shau require according to justice;
& the said townesmen, at the next Cort in those limits, after the end of their year, shall
give a briefs account in writing of their proceedings herein, provided that
they have bene so required by some Cort or magistrate a month at least before; & this
order to continew for two yeares,
& till the Cort shall take further order.
Massachusetts School
Law, 1647
It being one chiefe project of ye ould
deluder, Satan, to keepe men from the knowledge of ye
Scriptures, as in former times by keeping ym in an unknowne tongue, so in these latter times by perswading from ye use of tongues, yt
so at least ye true sence & meaning of ye originall might be clouded by false glosses of saint
seeming deceivers, yet learning may not be buried in ye grave of or fathers in
ye church and commonwealth, the Lord assisting or endeavors,-
It is therefore ordered,
yet every towneship in this jurisdiction, after ye
Lord hath increased your number to 50 housholdrs,
shall then forthwith appoint one with in their towne to teach all such children as shall resort to him to
write & reade, whose wages shall be paid either
by ye parents or masters of such children, or by ye inhabitants in generall, by way of supply, as ye major part of those yet
orderly prudentials ye twone
shau appoint; provided, those yet send their children
be not oppressed by paying much more ym they can have
ym taught for in other townes;
& it is further ordered, yet where any towne
shall increase to ye number of 100 families or househoulders,
they shau set up a grammer schoole, ye mr thereof being able
to instruct youth so farr as they shall be fitted for
ye university, provided, yet if any towne neglect ye
performance hereof above one yeare, yet every such towne shau pay 5 pounds to ye
next schoole till they shall performe
this order.