Student Question
What was the first college founded in the British North American colonies?
Quick answer:
Harvard College, established in 1636 in Cambridge, Massachusetts, was the first college founded in the British North American colonies. This occurred nearly 60 years before the next college, William and Mary, in 1693. Harvard's early founding highlights the Puritan emphasis on literacy and educated clergy, reflecting their values of religious education and the ability to read the Bible. This contrasts with the priorities of other colonies like those in the Chesapeake region.
The first college in the British colonies in North America was Harvard, in Cambridge, Massachusetts. It was founded in 1636. It was founded almost 60 years before the founding of the next college in the colonies, which was William and Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia (founded in 1693).
Historians consider this to be an important fact. They say that it shows the differences in values between the Puritan colonies of New England and the colonies of the Chesapeake. The Puritans were very concerned that all people should learn to read so that they could read the Bible. They also wanted educated clergy. It was for the purpose of training clergy that they founded Harvard. The importance that they placed on having educated clergy is shown by the fact that they founded Harvard so early in their history (less than 20 years after the landing at Plymouth Rock).
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