How Did Horace Mann Shaped American Society

23 October 2015


Dear Mr. President,

It is well known that, as citizens, it is for us important to contribute in the formation of a great nation, with great people. Leaving all decisions to the ones who hold power does little to achieve this goal. Participating in civic and political issues is the way through which the people make the country both fit its needs and respect the natural rights of every human being. For this reason, I am writing in order to express my opinion about the creation of a new national holiday for a man who has done great things to our society, especially in the educational area.

Horace Mann, often credited with leading the Common School Movement, was an American politician and educational reformer. Since he was a kid, he was drawn to education in a different way, giving it such importance that when in university, Mann developed an interest

Living in a segregated society, he believed that by improving the American education scenario, he would bring different races together. In other words, he hoped his reforms would be a way of achieving advances socially and, although he may not have done so much in the social area because of the depth of prejudice during his time, his efforts were made to accomplish what governments around the world can’t.

To conclude, you could say Horace Mann shaped the American society because education, in any time period of history, is the pillar of a great society, and his aims to have well equipped schools, better payed and well-trained teachers, to have longer school years (until 16 years old) and to have psychologically balanced students helped build this pillar. Therefore, for all the reasons mentioned, I truly believe this man deserves a national holiday on his birthday, May 4. Quoting Mann, everyone should "Be Ashamed to Die Until You Have Won Some Victory for Humanity,” and he has.


Yours