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Alabama Education System

When Alabama became a state in 1819, it was still a young and growing place. At first, there weren’t many schools, and most children learned at home or in small local classes. But as Alabama’s towns and cities grew, people began to understand that education was important for the future of the state.

In 1820, Alabama’s leaders made a big step by starting the University of Alabama. This was the state’s first public college, and it was built to help young men learn about science, law, and other important subjects. It opened in Tuscaloosa and became a symbol of Alabama’s hope for a stronger future.

 
    This photo, more than 160 years old, shows a large area of trees and meadows with a nice two-story house in the middle, and some similar-looking buildings in the background. The area is empty of people except for a few tiny-looking people far away. This was the the Quad, or main square, of the University of Alabama in 1859. Today it is a busy square surrounded by many classroom buildings and filled with students walking or relaxing. 
Photographer unknown. Source: University of Alabama Libraries: William Stanley Hoole Special Collections Library. Public domain via Wikimedia Commons 
View of the Quad at the University of Alabama, 1859
 

More schools followed. In 1830, Spring Hill College was opened in Mobile. It was one of the earliest Catholic colleges in the South. Then in 1838, Judson College was started in Marion. This school focused on giving women a chance to get a good education, which was not common at the time.

Other important schools were built, too. Barton Academy opened in 1836 in Mobile and was Alabama’s first public schools for children. In 1854, Tuskegee Female College (which later became part of Huntington College) opened to give women more chances to learn. And in 1856, East Alabama Male College opened, which later became Auburn University.

    This engraving shows a large, wide, three-story school building with entrance columns and a fancy dome. The dome is encircled by a walkway, which also has columns.
Author: LaTourrette, John. Source: digitally cropped from Map of the City of Mobile, published in New York by T.C. Story & J. Atwood, 1838. Public domain via Wikimedia Commons 
Barton Academy, Mobile, AL, 1838
 

These schools and colleges helped more people in Alabama learn reading, writing, math, and other subjects. At the time, many of the schools were for white students only, and schools for Black children and Native American children were very limited or not available at all.

By 1860, Alabama had made big steps in building its education system. The state’s new schools showed that people believed education was important for success, even though not everyone had the same chances to go to school. These early schools helped shape the future of education in Alabama.

When Alabama became a state in 1819, it was still a young and growing place. At first, there weren’t many schools, and most children learned at home or in small local classes. But as Alabama’s towns and cities grew, people began to understand that education was important for the future of the state.

In 1820, Alabama’s leaders made a big step by starting the University of Alabama. This was the state’s first public college, and it was built to help young men learn about science, law, and other important subjects. It opened in Tuscaloosa and became a symbol of Alabama’s hope for a stronger future.

 
    This photo, more than 160 years old, shows a large area of trees and meadows with a nice two-story house in the middle, and some similar-looking buildings in the background. The area is empty of people except for a few tiny-looking people far away. This was the the Quad, or main square, of the University of Alabama in 1859. Today it is a busy square surrounded by many classroom buildings and filled with students walking or relaxing. 
Photographer unknown. Source: University of Alabama Libraries: William Stanley Hoole Special Collections Library. Public domain via Wikimedia Commons 
View of the Quad at the University of Alabama, 1859
 

More schools followed. In 1830, Spring Hill College was opened in Mobile. It was one of the earliest Catholic colleges in the South. Then in 1838, Judson College was started in Marion. This school focused on giving women a chance to get a good education, which was not common at the time.

Other important schools were built, too. Barton Academy opened in 1836 in Mobile and was Alabama’s first public schools for children. In 1854, Tuskegee Female College (which later became part of Huntington College) opened to give women more chances to learn. And in 1856, East Alabama Male College opened, which later became Auburn University.

    This engraving shows a large, wide, three-story school building with entrance columns and a fancy dome. The dome is encircled by a walkway, which also has columns.
Author: LaTourrette, John. Source: digitally cropped from Map of the City of Mobile, published in New York by T.C. Story & J. Atwood, 1838. Public domain via Wikimedia Commons 
Barton Academy, Mobile, AL, 1838
 

When Alabama became a state in 1819, it was still a young and growing place. At first, there weren’t many schools, and most children learned at home or in small local classes. But as Alabama’s towns and cities grew, people began to understand that education was important for the future of the state.

In 1820, Alabama’s leaders made a big step by starting the University of Alabama. This was the state’s first public college, and it was built to help young men learn about science, law, and other important subjects. It opened in Tuscaloosa and became a symbol of Alabama’s hope for a stronger future.

 
    This photo, more than 160 years old, shows a large area of trees and meadows with a nice two-story house in the middle, and some similar-looking buildings in the background. The area is empty of people except for a few tiny-looking people far away. This was the the Quad, or main square, of the University of Alabama in 1859. Today it is a busy square surrounded by many classroom buildings and filled with students walking or relaxing. 
Photographer unknown. Source: University of Alabama Libraries: William Stanley Hoole Special Collections Library. Public domain via Wikimedia Commons 
View of the Quad at the University of Alabama, 1859
 

More schools followed. In 1830, Spring Hill College was opened in Mobile. It was one of the earliest Catholic colleges in the South. Then in 1838, Judson College was started in Marion. This school focused on giving women a chance to get a good education, which was not common at the time.

Other important schools were built, too. Barton Academy opened in 1836 in Mobile and was Alabama’s first public schools for children. In 1854, Tuskegee Female College (which later became part of Huntington College) opened to give women more chances to learn. And in 1856, East Alabama Male College opened, which later became Auburn University.

    This engraving shows a large, wide, three-story school building with entrance columns and a fancy dome. The dome is encircled by a walkway, which also has columns.
Author: LaTourrette, John. Source: digitally cropped from Map of the City of Mobile, published in New York by T.C. Story & J. Atwood, 1838. Public domain via Wikimedia Commons 
Barton Academy, Mobile, AL, 1838
 

These schools and colleges helped more people in Alabama learn reading, writing, math, and other subjects. At the time, many of the schools were for white students only, and schools for Black children and Native American children were very limited or not available at all.

By 1860, Alabama had made big steps in building its education system. The state’s new schools showed that people believed education was important for success, even though not everyone had the same chances to go to school. These early schools helped shape the future of education in Alabama.


Source: Alabama Education System
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