"One of the Framers, William Livingston, claimed that "whatever Principles are imbibed at College will run thro' a Man's whole future Conduct." And another Framer, Thomas Mifflin, wrote this in a college notebook: "Different Abilities & different Means of Education will always occasion differences of opinion even in good men." These statements form the essential thesis of Schools for Statesmen: that understanding the Framers' differences in education provides new insight into their differences at the 1787 Convention. In particular, those different educations help explain Framers' willingness or reluctance to accept structural innovations proposed by James Madison and his allies, and they shed new light on the hard-to-explain vote that adopted the Great Compromise on representation in congress. Schools for Statesmen explores the 55 individual Framers in close detail and argues that their different educations help explain their divergent positions at the 1787 Convention. The more traditional schools that focused on Greek and Latin classics (Oxford, Harvard, Yale, William and Mary) were conservative institutions resistant to change. The Scottish and newer schools (Princeton, Philadelphia, King's College) introduced students to a Scottish Enlightenment curriculum that fostered more radical, forward-thinking leaders. Half of the Framers had no college education and were largely self-taught or had private tutors; they usually stayed quiet at the Convention. Of the dozen who consistently led at the Convention, half of them had been educated at the newer colleges. Of the seven who rejected the new Constitution, three had gone to the older, traditional schools, while three others had not gone to college at all. Schools for Statesmen takes a deep dive into the educational world of the late 18th century and sheds new light on the origins of the US Constitution"-- Provided by publisher.
This resource is supported by the Institute of Museum and Library Services under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act as administered by State Library of Iowa.