The Massachusetts School Laws were three legislative acts of 1642, 1647 and 1648 enacted in the Massachusetts Bay Colony . The most famous by far is the law of 1647, also known as the Old Deluder Satan Law (after the law's first sentence) and The General School Law of 1642 . These laws are commonly regarded as the historical first step toward compulsory government-directed public education in the United States of America . Shortly after they passed, similar laws were enacted in the other New England colonies. Most mid-Atlantic colonies followed suit, though in some Southern colonies it was a further century before publicly funded schools were established there.
36-644: The law was one of a series of legislative acts directed at public education in the colony. The first Massachusetts School Law of 1642 broke with English tradition by transferring educational supervision from the clergy to the selectmen of the colony, empowering them to assess the education of children "to read & understand the principles of religion and the capital laws of this country." It held parents and masters responsible for their children's and apprentices' ability to read and write, stressing education rather than schooling. However, its implementation appears to have been somewhat neglected. Probably in response to this,
72-634: A "grammar school". Failure to comply with the mandate would result in a fine of £5. The grammar school clause was intended to prepare students to attend Harvard College , whose mission was to prepare young men for the ministry. The rationale for the law reflected the Calvinist Puritan ethos of the time and in particular the influence of the Reverend John Cotton , who was a teacher in the First Church of Boston and one of
108-494: A chair, appointing various town positions, and establishing the meeting schedule for the ensuing year. In New Hampshire cities, selectmen maintain voter checklists and aid voters at the polls. In Connecticut, the first selectman is the chief executive and administrative officer of most towns with the Selectmen-Town Meeting form of government. Some towns, such as Woodbridge , elect their first selectmen to be
144-510: A given country. In democratic countries, the executive often exercises broad influence over national politics, though limitations are often applied to the executive. In political systems based on the separation of powers , such as the United States of America , government authority is distributed between several branches in order to prevent power being concentrated in the hands of a single person or group. To achieve this, each branch
180-423: A grammar school, the master thereof being able to instruct youth so far as they may be fitted for the university, provided that if any town neglect the performance hereof above one year that every such town shall pay 5 pounds to the next school till they shall perform this order. Selectmen The select board or board of selectmen is commonly the executive arm of the government of New England towns in
216-460: A town operates. Selectmen almost always serve part-time, with a token or no salary. It is the chief executive branch of local government in the open town meeting form of government. The basic function consists of calling town meetings, proposing budgets to the town meeting, setting public policy, calling elections, licensing, setting certain fees, overseeing certain volunteer and appointed bodies, and creating basic regulations. In larger towns,
252-467: Is subject to checks by the other two; in general, the role of the legislature is to pass laws, which are then enforced by the executive, and interpreted by the judiciary . The executive can also be the source of certain types of law or law-derived rules, such as a decree or executive order . In those that use fusion of powers , typically parliamentary systems , such as the United Kingdom ,
288-420: Is the head of the board of selectmen in some New England towns. Historically, the first selectman was the one who received the largest number of votes during municipal elections or at a town meeting. More recently most towns have chosen to elect the first selectman in a separate election, much like a mayor . While the principle remains the same in most towns, the function has evolved differently. Traditionally,
324-441: The 100-family towns and a third of the 50-family towns had met the respective requirements for grammar schools and the hiring of teachers. However, the remainder of the towns and many new towns ignored both mandates and instead paid the fine. The Massachusetts Civil Code of 1660 reiterated the school laws, but still met with a lack of implementation; to enforce it, a fresh act was passed in 1668. This Cort, taking into consideration
360-479: The 1647 law was enacted by the Massachusetts General Court to impel the towns of the colony to found, operate and fund schools. The 1647 legislation specifically framed ignorance as a Satanic ill to be circumvented through the education of the country's young people. It required every town having more than 50 families to hire a teacher, and every town of more than 100 families to establish
396-530: The Cort shall take further order. It being one chief project of that old deluder, Satan, to keep men from the knowledge of the Scriptures, as in former times by keeping them in an unknown tongue, so in these latter times by persuading from the use of tongues, that so that at least the true sense and meaning of the original might be clouded and corrupted with love and false glosses of saint-seeming deceivers; and to
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#1732801689646432-510: The Massachusetts Bay Colony's most influential leaders. The Puritans sought to create a literate population to ensure that, as the law put it, " ye ould deluder, Satan" could not use illiteracy to "keepe men from the knowledge of ye Scriptures ." Their religious beliefs emphasized the view that personal knowledge of the Scriptures was an essential requirement for temporal living and eternal salvation. The statute also endorsed
468-577: The United States. The board typically consists of three or five members, with or without staggered terms . Three is the most common number, historically. In most New England towns, the adult voting population gathered annually in a town meeting to act as the local legislature, approving budgets and laws. Day-to-day operations were originally left to individual oversight, but when towns became too large for individuals to handle such work loads, they would elect an executive board of selected men (hence
504-446: The board of selectmen, depending on the number of votes the losing candidate received. Executive (government) The executive , also referred to as the juditian or executive power , is that part of government which executes the law; in other words, directly makes the key decisions and holds power. The scope of executive power varies greatly depending on the political context in which it emerges, and it can change over time in
540-562: 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 shall 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
576-408: The chief administrative officer of the town even though the position is technically part-time. The first selectman is also a voting member of the board of selectmen and can cast a tie-breaking vote in the board of finance . In other towns, the position is full-time. In towns such as Beacon Falls , Bethany , Brookfield , Orange , and Simsbury , the losing first selectman candidate can earn a seat on
612-421: The creation of police departments, of which selectmen typically became the commissioners . The advent of tarred roads and automobile traffic led to a need for full-time highway maintainers and plowmen, leaving selectmen to serve as Supervisors of Streets and Ways. The function of the board of selectmen differs from state to state, and can differ within a given state depending on the type of governance under which
648-460: The end that learning may not be buried in the grave of our forefathers, in church and commonwealth, the Lord assisting our endeavors. It is therefore ordered that every township in this jurisdiction, after the Lord hath increased them to fifty households shall forthwith appoint one within their town to teach all such children as shall resort to him to write and read, whose wages shall be paid either by
684-426: The executive ( ministers ), are also members of the legislature, and hence play an important part in both the writing and enforcing of law. In presidential systems , the directly elected head of government appoints the ministers. The ministers can be directly elected by the voters. In this context, the executive consists of a leader or leader of an office or multiple offices. Specifically, the top leadership roles of
720-459: The executive branch may include: In a presidential system , the leader of the executive is both the head of state and government. In some cases, such as South Korea , there is a Prime Minister who assists the President, but who is not the head of government. In a parliamentary system , a cabinet minister responsible to the legislature is the head of government, while the head of state
756-471: The executive forms the government, and its members generally belong to the political party that controls the legislature. Since the executive requires the support and approval of the legislature, the two bodies are "fused" together, rather than being independent. The principle of parliamentary sovereignty means powers possessed by the executive are solely dependent on those granted by the legislature, which can also subject its actions to judicial review. However,
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#1732801689646792-444: The executive often has wide-ranging powers stemming from the control of the government bureaucracy , especially in the areas of overall economic or foreign policy . In parliamentary systems, the executive is responsible to the elected legislature, which must maintain the confidence of the legislature or one part of it, if bicameral. In certain circumstances (varying by state), the legislature can express its lack of confidence in
828-505: The executive, which causes either a change in governing party or group of parties or a general election. Parliamentary systems have a head of government (who leads the executive, often called ministers ) normally distinct from the head of state (who continues through governmental and electoral changes). In the Westminster type of parliamentary system , the principle of separation of powers is not as entrenched as in some others. Members of
864-468: The first selectman acts as chief administrative officer . As with all politicians in New England, it was originally a part-time position. Most modern towns that have part-time first selectmen limit their function to chairing the board of selectmen and performing certain ceremonial duties. Actual administration of the town is handled by the town manager. In other towns, the first selectman acts as CEO of
900-426: 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
936-578: The local Board of Health, Board of Liquor Control Commissioners, Board of Sewage System Commissioners; and together with the town's elected Justices of the Peace , serve as the Board of Civil Authority and Board of Tax Abatement. A rare use of the term outside New England is in Georgetown , Colorado, where the town governing body is called the Board of Selectmen. The first selectman (or selectwoman)
972-428: The matrats, who shall take such course for their help & incuragmt as the occasion shall require according to iustice; & the said townesmen, at the next Cort in those limits, after the end of their year, shall give a briefe 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
1008-429: The name) to run things for them. These men had charge of the day-to-day operations; selectmen were important in legislating policies central to a community's police force, highway supervisors, poundkeepers , field drivers, and other officials. However, the larger towns grew, the more power would be distributed among other elected boards, such as fire wardens and police departments. For example, population increases led to
1044-429: The neglect thereof, upon presentment of the grand iury, or other information or complaint in any Court within this iurisdiction; 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 &
1080-438: The parents or masters of such children, or by the inhabitants in general, by way of supply, as the major part of those that order the prudentials of the town shall appoint; provided those that send their children be not oppressed by paying much more than they can have them taught for in other towns. And it is further ordered, that when any town shall increase to the number of one hundred families or householders, they shall set up
1116-509: The principle that the interpretation of the Scriptures should be done under the aegis of proper authority, namely the Puritan leaders, in order to avoid "false glosses of saint seeming deceivers". A further piece of educational legislation was passed in 1648, addressing and extending the schooling requirements set out in the 1642 law. It stipulated that children and apprentices, under the authority of parents or masters, were to be taught reading,
Massachusetts School Laws - Misplaced Pages Continue
1152-413: The public laws, the catechism and "some honest lawful calling, labour or employment." Selectmen were to act as supervisors of the population, conducting examinations and if necessary fining parents or placing the young with other masters if their education was neglected. The practical implementation of the educational laws appears to have been distinctly inconsistent. By the end of the 1650s, all eight of
1188-483: The rest of the board. In New Hampshire cities (which have a board of aldermen instead of a board of selectmen), a "selectman" is an elected position that is responsible for organizing elections for local, state, and federal offices. Three selectmen, a moderator, and a clerk are elected in each city ward. In Vermont towns, per state statute the Selectboard performs several ex officio roles to include: serving as
1224-408: The selectmen's daily administrative duties are delegated to a full-time town administrator or town manager . In some towns, the board of selectmen acts more like a city council , but retains the historic name. In some places, such as Connecticut , the board is headed by a first selectman, who historically has served as the chief administrative officer of the town and may be elected separately from
1260-416: The town, much like a mayor, alone or in conjunction with a town manager who acts as a chief administrative officer. In Massachusetts , New Hampshire and Vermont , the presiding selectman is usually called the chairman and is chosen annually by the selectmen. In Vermont, immediately following the annual election, the Board of Selectmen is required by state statute to re-organize, which includes electing
1296-520: 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 beneficiall imploymt, if they meete wth any difficulty or opposition wch they cannot well master by their own power, they may have recorse to some of
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