Includes bibliographical references and index.

Education in precolonical America: Native American cultural traditions -- Colonization and cultural transplantation: 1607-1776 -- Education and the building of a new nation: 1776-1830 -- The common man and the common school: 1820-1860 -- Class, caste, and education in the south: 1800-1900 -- Beginning a modern school system: 1865-1890 -- Organizing the modern school system: educational reform in the progressive era, 1890-1915 -- Completing the modern school system: American education, 1915-1929 -- The effects of depression and war on American education: 1930-1946 -- Education during and after the crucial decade: 1945-1960 -- The pursuit of equality: 1960-1980 -- From equality to excellence: American education: 1980-2008.

This is a comprehensive history of American education from pre-colonial times to the present. Chronologically organized, it provides an objective overview of each major period in the development of American education, setting the discussion against the broader backdrop of national and world events.