Running Head: SALEM NORMAL SCHOOL: A RESULT OF A CLASSIST SOCIETY

Salem Normal School: A Result of a Classist Society and an Emerging Industrial Economy
Jennifer Migliozzi
Salem State University

SALEM NORMAL SCHOOL: A RESULT OF A CLASSIST SOCIETY

Abstract
This paper seeks to connect the classist society of Massachusetts in the late-1700s to the
early-1800s and the emergence of the industrial economy in Salem, Massachusetts during the
same time period to the creation of the Massachusetts public school system, the Massachusetts
normal school system and the Salem Normal School. The paper will argue how the influence of
class and economics directly impacts changes and advances in education using the example of
the Salem Normal School.

SALEM NORMAL SCHOOL: A RESULT OF A CLASSIST SOCIETY

The establishment of the Salem Normal School, the fourth such school established in
Massachusetts, was an advancement in the commonwealths pursuit of statewide public
education. It was also an opportunity for women to pursue an education and a career in a society
where both ideas were against the norm. When the topic of normal schools are discussed in a
graduate level class, the previous statements are what most students recite when asked about the
importance of normal schools to higher education. And while both of the previous statements are
true, there is more to them than their concise, generalized descriptions. The classist society and
the changing labor market of the late-1700s and early-1800s Massachusetts greatly contributed to
the creation of the public normal school system, the enrollment of women in these schools and
the specific establishment of and enrollment in the Salem Normal School in Salem,
Massachusetts. The Massachusetts public education system was a result of the classist society,
where the upper class did not wish to mingle with lower classes at expensive, private schools and
academies. While womens entrance into teacher training schools and the teaching profession
was a result of economic necessity for the working class because of the onset of the Industrial
Revolution. This paper seeks to explore exactly how the classist society and the changing
economy contributed to the creation of the public education system and the normal school
system in Massachusetts. Furthermore, it looks to prove how the shift of the working class from
self employed laborers to labor production members in the city of Salem directly contributed to
the initial successful enrollment in the Salem Normal School. The influence of the classist
society and the emergence of the industrial economy reflect that changes in education are often
not a result of noble ideas, such as increased education for the greater good, but of societal and
economic influences. While the established the Massachusetts normal school system and Salem

SALEM NORMAL SCHOOL: A RESULT OF A CLASSIST SOCIETY

Normal School created opportunities for the education of women and the working class, these
benefits would not have been made a reality without a classist society and a changing economy.
The Origin of the Normal School
Salem was not the first choice of location for a normal school in Massachusetts, but
Massachusetts was the first state in the nation to create a system of public schools to train
teachers. Being the first in the nation to have normal schools, the Massachusetts Board of
Education actually coined the name Normal School. The term is derived from the French ecoles
normales (Breitborde & Kolodny, 2014, p. 6). Ecoles normales were French teaching schools
that were commonly called model schools (Breitborde & Kolodny, 2014, p. 6). These schools
had their students learn by example or, as their name suggests, by model (Breitborde & Kolodny,
2014, p. 6). The teachers in training observed what was considered to be normal teaching
methods and curriculum taught (Breitborde & Kolodny, 2014, p. 6). While the Massachusetts
Normal School sought to educate future teachers on best teaching practices like the schools in
France, they did not do so primarily through observation. Instead of observation, the students
were instructed on classroom practices, such as how to lecture, as well as the general subjects
matters found in other colleges and high schools, such as mathematics and music (Breitborde &
Kolodny, 2014, p. 9). The Normal School taught these subjects as a way to both compete with
private offerings, as well as to ensure their students received the proper education to become
educators themselves (Maloney, 1990, p. 47).
The Beginning of the Public School System in Massachusetts
Before delving into greater analysis of the origin of the normal school, one must be
familiar with the beginning of public education in Massachusetts. The beginning of public
education in Massachusetts preceded the beginning of normal schools. Preceding the

SALEM NORMAL SCHOOL: A RESULT OF A CLASSIST SOCIETY

Massachusetts Board of Education, private schools and academies were available as educational
institutions for those who could afford them (the upper class) (Maloney, 1990, p. 2). There were
limited affordable private school options available to the working class and almost no options
available for the poor. In July 1789 to provide the poor with a greater opportunity to become
educated, the Massachusetts General Court required towns that had fifty or more families to
establish and operate a common school, which is now referred to as a public school (Maloney,
1990, p. 2). The phrases will be used interchangeably throughout this paper. Additionally, if a
town had over 200 families, the common school would have to provide a grammar instructor
(Maloney, 1990, p. 2). These public schools were run by local city or town governments and
were financially supported by a town tax (Norton, 1926, p. xxxiii). Most towns were divided into
districts and each district had a committee, elected by the towns citizens and typically comprised
of one person, that managed the school in that district (Norton, 1926, p. xxxiii). Because of the
lack of regulation from the state government, the committees separation from those actually
working in the school and the limited tax money, the schools were poorly managed and therefore
attracted an unsubstantial amount of students (Norton, 1926, p. xxxiii).
These public schools were created with the goal to provide the poor with the same
opportunities as those of the upper class, but the schools only further emphasis the disparity
between the two classes. The upper class continued to send their children to the private schools,
where enrollment remained steady. A report completed by the Massachusetts Board of Education
found that compared to the common schools in 1826 - 1827, enrollment at private schools was
60% of the enrollment of public institutions (Maloney, 1990, p. 3). Any donations put towards
education were more than likely to be made to a school where the donors children were or had
attended. For this reason, the common schools received little donations from wealthy

SALEM NORMAL SCHOOL: A RESULT OF A CLASSIST SOCIETY

philanthropists. The public institutions were lacking in funding and the education provided to the
poor who attended suffered because of this monetary deficiency (Maloney, 1990, p. 3).
The Profession of Teaching: Low Paid, Low Demand
One way that the public education directly suffered was the quality of teachers. During
the late 1700s and early 1800s teaching was not viewed as a prestigious profession, with a few
exceptions made for the highly educated teaching at universities. The majority of students going
to school were men, who wished to study a liberal arts curriculum in preparation for jobs as
business or political leaders (Maloney, 1990, p. 4). Compared to other professions, a teachers
salary was low on the pay scale, which made it undesirable for men of the household to pursue
(Maloney, 1990, p. 4). This low salary made it difficult for the head of household to support his
family. Additionally, a teaching position was often an unstable job. As funding for public and
even some private institutions was low and the number of hired teachers in both the public and
private sectors were reliant on fluctuating enrollment, there was little job security for those in the
profession (Maloney, 1990, p. 4). In some schools, these two factors contributed to an almost
constant shift in salary compensation, where the amount of money earned in one year could be
quite different to the amount of money guaranteed the following year (Maloney, 1990, p. 4). The
lack of financial security teaching offered did not make it a popular or desirable profession.
Lack of Support for Public Schooling
Today taxpayers financially support the current public education system in
Massachusetts. In the late 1700s and early 1800s there was both little financial and civilian
support for public schooling. The public believed that education should be left to the private
academies and schools (Maloney, 1990, p. 5). This sentiment was fueled by fiscal motivations.
Relying on the private sector for education meant that the public would not have to contribute

SALEM NORMAL SCHOOL: A RESULT OF A CLASSIST SOCIETY

additional tax dollars to public education. Less tax money for the public to pay meant a few extra
dollars to keep for the public to keep themselves. For the poor, the idea of one less tax to
contribute to had the potential for more money available for personal savings or living expenses
(Maloney, 1990, p. 4). One may be questioning why the wealthy would be willing to spend their
money on private school tuition and not be willing to contribute tax money towards public
education. It appears that the wealthy wanted to have their children attend schools with a
population that came from a similar social class and financial background as they did (Maloney,
1990, p. 3). Paying taxes towards public education would be an additional payment for many of
the upper class. They would still continue to pay for private schools for their children to avoid
having their sons and some daughters from being taught in the public schools with the lower
classes (Maloney, 1990, p. 3). The upper class believed that a social system divided by classes
was essential for survival and for this reason the separation of classes in education was needed
(Norton, 1926, p. xxxviii). A working class was needed to do the manual labor, while an upper
class was needed to provide improvement to society through leadership and the creation of new
ideas and innovations (Norton, 1926, p. xxxviii). Because the upper class believed the different
classes had different societal purposes, it only made sense to them that their schooling would
also be different (Norton, 1926, p. xxxviii). This beliefs lead to the strong support of private
schooling amongst the upper class. With their continued loyalty towards the private sector of
education, the wealthy felt they would not receive a direct benefit from a tax contribution
towards public education and overall held an unfavorable view towards public education.
The public had the support of many religious authorities in regards to the idea of keeping
education primarily in the private sector (Maloney, 1990, p. 4). Many private schools were
religious affiliated. There was a fear that public education would limit the children of religious

SALEM NORMAL SCHOOL: A RESULT OF A CLASSIST SOCIETY

studies (Maloney, 1990, p. 4). Churches and other places of worship associated with private
schools sometimes provided financial assistance to the private schools and occasionally received
financial support from the wealthy that attended these religious affiliated educational institutions
(Maloney, 1990, p. 4). Both Catholic and Protestant churches suspected that the growth of public
education would have the population turning away from religion and becoming less reliant on the
church (Maloney, 1990, p. 4). A decline in faithfulness could cause a decline in church donations.
There was also a fear that with the increased access to a public education, the enrollment of
seminaries would decline (Maloney, 1990, p. 4). In general religious leaders felt that the growth
of public education would be bad for the business of religion.
A Start to the Centralization of the Public School System
While public schooling was not supported in Massachusetts, the ecoles normales in
France and similar schools in Prussia were seen globally as the premiere teaching schools
(Norton, 1926, p. xxxvii). Both Prussia and France had a centralized state school system, which
enabled them to produce dedicated and highly trained teachers (Norton, 1926, p. xxxvii).
Massachusetts did not have a centralized system of education in the late 1700s and early 1800s,
but with the three laws passed between the ten-year span of 1827 and 1837 there was an increase
public education regulation. In 1827 was written that the each town had to provide the Secretary
of the Commonwealth with reports of statistical information about their schools (Norton, 1926,
p. xxxvi). With this law Massachusetts became first state in the nation to implement a
governmental collection of conditional information regarding the public education of the entire
state (Norton, 1926, p. xxxvi). Seven years later in 1834 Massachusetts created the State School
Fund or Common School Fund to collect and contribute state money towards public education
(Norton, 1926, p. xxxvi). In 1835 it was decided that half the money the federal government had

SALEM NORMAL SCHOOL: A RESULT OF A CLASSIST SOCIETY

given to the states from the federal surplus would be placed into this Fund (Maloney, 1990, p. 5).
Each year schools would receive monetary interest from the funds based on their school districts
expenses (Maloney, 1990, p. 5). Finally, in 1837 looking to the central school systems of Prussia
and France, Massachusetts established the Massachusetts Board of Education with nine members
(Norton, 1926, p. xxxvii). Horace Mann was selected as the Boards secretary (Norton, 1926, p.
xxxviii). The board would be in charge of collecting the annual statistical reports implemented
ten years earlier and using that information to report to both the Massachusetts Legislature and
the common schools of the districts about what educational improvements were needed (Norton,
1926, p. xxxvii). The creation of the Board of Education meant that the state had created its own
centralized body to help regulation and fund Massachusetts public education.
The Failure of Private Teaching Programs
It was during this time that public opinion increased teacher training became favorable.
This favorable opinion of more training may have contributed to the creation of teacher training
programs in the private sector of education. In 1830 Reverend Samuel Hall created what was
referred to as a normal department at the private academy Phillips Academy Andover, which
is still operating as one of the most prestigious and competitive private high schools in Greater
New England (Maloney, 1990, p. 5). Its official title was English Department or Seminary for
Teachers (Norton, 1926, p. xxxv). Halls normal department was created to specifically train
future teachers and was to be a separate from classics curriculum that most Phillips students
studied (Maloney, 1990, p. 5). During the departments twelve years of operation, about 50 men
were enrolled each year. While 50 students was a respectable number for enrollment, after twelve
years the department ceased its separation from the rest of the curriculum and was joined with
the regular curriculum (Maloney, 1990, p. 5). As previously stated the prestige and lack of job

SALEM NORMAL SCHOOL: A RESULT OF A CLASSIST SOCIETY

and financial security did not make teaching a desirable profession, especially for the upper class
elite. The lack of attraction to the teaching profession contributed to the short life of these
teaching training programs at private academies (Norton, 1926, p. xxxv).
Having little to no women in enrolled in these private teaching programs also contributed
to the dismantling of these programs. Upper class women were not being enrolled in these
programs because they were being enrolled into private, female-only academies (Maloney, 1990,
p. 2). An upper class woman was financially supported by the men in her family, typically her
father or her husband, and therefore did not attend school in hopes of pursuing a profession
(Maloney, 1990, p. 42). The upper class believed that the women belong in the home to fulfill
domestic and motherly duties, and so her education should focus on these activities that would
help her succeed in this domesticated role.
An idea to reflect on regarding these short-lived private teaching programs is the case for
their survival with the admittance of working class students. If these schools reached out to those
of the lower classes, their teaching programs may have survived for longer than they did in
reality. There are many other implications associated with this idea; it would require greater
analysis than this paper and its related research can provide to successfully answer the question
of the possible prosperity of these private normal schools with enrollment of the working class.
Yet I believe the failure of these private normal schools lead to the creation and eventual success
of the public normal schools. And so the topic is worth a discussion, albeit a brief one. Working
class students certainly could not contribute as much money to their education as those of the
elite, but it could be argued the combination of both working class and upper class students
enrolled in a program would increase enrollment numbers. Even if the elite paid a lower tuition
to match the amount that the working class could afford, the greater number of students in a

SALEM NORMAL SCHOOL: A RESULT OF A CLASSIST SOCIETY

program could allow the program to be financially stable. But during this time in American
society, the upper class did not want to mix with the lower class in their educational endeavors
(Norton, 1926, p. xxxviii). Because of this class bias and wish for educational class separation,
this idea would probably not have been a realistic notion. If this class bias did not exist, though,
the private schools could have firmly established private teacher training programs before the
public sector. One does not know if then there would be such a deliberate push for normal
schools in the public sector, since the working class would have already been served in the
private sector. The classist society of the 1800s influenced the push for greater education
opportunities for the lower classes and the increase in public education schools and programs.
The Influence of Class: Who is Educated & What They Study
This influence of social class in the 1800s is demonstrative of the influence societal
beliefs have over who is educated and what they study that still exists today. The wealthiest
people in America attend more selective, private universities, while the lower class attends either
less selective public universities or trade schools. According to an analysis of Brookings Institute
study by The New York Times, in 2004 the fathers of enrolled freshman at selective, private
universities were more likely to be employed in the high income profession of a doctor, than of
all the following lower income professions: hourly workers, teachers, farmers, clergymen and
members of the military (Leonhardt, 2014b). The study also found that lower-income students
who academically performed to the standards of the most selective universities were
overwhelmingly choosing to attend selective schools rather than most selective (Leonhardt,
2014b). One of out three high-achieving, low-income student enrolled in a selective college in
2004 (Leonhardt, 2014b). Ones class level and family income continues to influence where one
is educated, just as it influenced students in the 1800s.

SALEM NORMAL SCHOOL: A RESULT OF A CLASSIST SOCIETY

Donation for Creation
Seeing the favorable opinion of teaching schools and failure of the private sector, the
public sector sought to create teaching schools. Philanthropy is most responsible for the
beginning of the normal school system in Massachusetts. The specific philanthropist who helped
to begin the system was Edmund Dwight, a member of the first Board of Education in
Massachusetts (Norton, 1926, p. xliv). Dwight had been a successful businessman before joining
the Board and was a strong believer in teacher training (Norton, 1926, p. xliv). He presented
Massachusetts with $10,000 to create a state normal school system. His only requirement in
giving the donation was that the state match his contribution (Maloney, 1990, p. 6). In 1838
Dwights donation was officially accepted and a law was signed for the creation of three normal
schools in Massachusetts (Malone, 1990, p. 6).
With the help of Dwights donation the first normal school in Massachusetts was founded
in Lexington, Massachusetts in 1839 (Breitborde & Kolodny, 2014, p. 22) . Lexington was
chosen because of its close proximity to Boston and access to the railroad line, which was one of
the main methods of transportation at the time. The Board of Education wanted to locate the
schools in areas that would be most accessible to the Massachusetts population, which would
enable the school to attract applicants across the state (Maloney, 1990, p. 7). Rather than
construct a building to house the normal schools, the Board sought open buildings that already
existed (Maloney, 1990 p. 6). In Lexington, the normal school was housed in a building
previously utilized by the private school, Lexington Academy, located on Lexington Common
(Breitborde & Kolodny, 2014, p. 22).

SALEM NORMAL SCHOOL: A RESULT OF A CLASSIST SOCIETY

Location: Salem, Massachusetts
In 1853 Salem was chosen as the location of the fourth normal school in Massachusetts
(Maloney, 1990, p. 16). The school was to be housed in the former county register of deeds
building at the corners of Broad and Summer Streets. Like the first normal school location,
Salem was chosen because it had its own railroad station and the chosen building for the school
was also close to the station (Maloney, 1990, p. 19). As the population of the city had increased
and enrollment was up in public schools, there was a need for trained teachers in Salem
(Maloney, 1990, p. 13). Between 1843 and 1851 enrollment had increased by from 2, 250 to 2,
861 (Maloney, 1990, p. 14). Interestingly enough, during this same time period private school
enrollment decreased from 972 to 690 (Maloney, 1990, p 14). Due the creation of the Board of
Education, public education now had increased regulation, which may have made it more
attractive for the upper class population of Salem (Maloney, 1990, p. 14. Having a normal school
in Salem would allow Salem to fill their growing public schools with these trained teachers.
Highly trained teachers also had the potential of attracting even more of the upper class to the
schools, thanks to their quality of teaching.
The Emergence of the Industrial Economy in Salem
There was an elite upper class in Salem, but the majority of these wealthy elite had
inherited their wealth (Morris, 200, p. 606). Much of this elite class maintained their wealth from
the land they owned (Morris, 200, p. 606). Their wealth gave them the freedom to study the
liberal arts, rather than schooling that would train them for a specific profession. This elite class
sought to be educated at the universities in nearby Boston and therefore had practically no
interest in attending the Salem Normal School. In fact, Salem was only second to Boston in the
amount of men sent to prestigious Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts (Breitborde

SALEM NORMAL SCHOOL: A RESULT OF A CLASSIST SOCIETY

& Kolodny, 2014, p. 59). Additionally, the belief in the separation of classes in education also
contributed to the lack of interest in the Salem Normal School.
While the elite were content in with their economic standing, the Salem working class
was experiencing economic changes because of the decline in maritime trading, as well as the
onset of the Industrial Revolution and the increase in manufacturing jobs (Vickers, 1994, p. 327).
The economy in Salem and its County of Essex was steady, but the professions of fishing and
farming were beginning to decline (Vickers, 1994, p. 326). Prior to the Industrial Revolution, the
Essex County working class heavily relied on fishing and farming for income. Both professions,
though, were unreliable in regards to guaranteed income. A bad winter, that killed crops or fish
populations, had the potential to drastically change the amount of money earned during that
season. The growth of manufacturing expressed a growth in paid employment opportunities and
hourly wages (Vickers, 1994, p. 324). The working class began to slowly seek out dependent
employment, such as transitioning to craftsmen or labor production members (Vickers, 1994, p.
323).
Salem Normal School Enrollment & the Emergence of the Industrial Economy
This new emphasis on paid and dependent employment in Salem made it opportune
place to establish a normal school. Those of the working or middle class saw sending their
daughters to the Salem Normal School to train to be teachers as an investment opportunity. As a
teacher, these daughters would be able to make a guaranteed salary to contribute to household
incomes (Vickers, 1994, p. 324). Unlike the very poor, the working class could afford to make
this investment in their daughters, or in some cases their wifes, education because of the
eventual economic gains it would bring to the family (Vickers, 1994, p. 324). This idea of
educational investment can be seen today in the modern university system. Families across the

SALEM NORMAL SCHOOL: A RESULT OF A CLASSIST SOCIETY

United States will make financial sacrifices to send their son or daughter to school because of the
notion that a college degree will increase ones earnings over his or her lifetime. The hope is that
the investment put into college will eventually be made back. According to the Upshot, an
analytic website of the New York Times, that hope is a reality (Leondrant, 2014a). In 2013 the
people a four-year college degree made 98% more per hour than those without a degree
(Leondrant, 2014a). The enrollment of these working class daughters in the Salem Normal
Schools demonstrates that investment in education for greater economic gains later in life is not a
new concept.
Taking a closer look at the occupations of the fathers of the girls who first attended the
Salem Normal School further establishes the idea of education as an economic investment. The
very first students who were enrolled had fathers who were either farmers or laborers (Maloney,
1990, p. 40). In this first class five students had mothers who were recorded as being the head of
the household (Maloney, 1990, p. 40). Women were only listed as the head of household if they
were widows or the wives of seamen, who were away more than they were home (Maloney,
1990, p. 40). The girls from these families were most certainly enrolled in the Salem Normal
School so that they could to provide economic support to their family, since there was no man of
the household to do so. The second class saw an increase in students who fathers worked as
tradesmen (Maloney, 1990, p. 41). Tradesmen, who specialized in crafting specific goods, may
have also been a group who saw a decline in income because of the rise of manufacturing
(Vickers, 1994, 314). A mass produced good would most certainly be cheaper than one made by
a tradesmen, which would have negatively affected the tradesmens sales (Vickers, 1994, 314).
With the seventh class there was an increase in fathers who did maritime work, including a sea
captain, a seaman and a shipmaster (Maloney, 1990, p. 41). These maritime workers enrolling

SALEM NORMAL SCHOOL: A RESULT OF A CLASSIST SOCIETY

their daughters demonstrated it was not just the low-level fishermen who were affected by the
Industrial Revolution. (Maloney, 1990, p. 42) High-ranking officials were also affected. They too
sought to have their daughters seek dependent employment as their employment became more
financially unreliable.
Something that is particularly notable the first enrollment classes of the Salem Normal
School is the enrollment of daughters of upper class men or white collar workers. Doctors,
ministers, manufacturers and town clerks all enrolled their daughters in the Salem Normal
School (Maloney, 1990, p. 41). As previously mentioned, the increased regulations of the public
school system could have contributed to the increase in upper class enrollment (Maloney, 1990,
p. 40).
Another possibility could be the preference for an inexpensive option of an all girls
school compared to pricey private schools. If the girls signed that they would teach at a common
school in Massachusetts after they graduated, tuition was free (Breitborde & Kolodny, 2014, p.
60). There was an additional $1.50 charge for textbook rental (Breitborde & Kolodny, 2014, p.
60). For those who wanted to teach at a private school post-graduation, the tuition was $15.00
(Breitborde & Kolodny, 2014, p. 60). Upper class fathers might have sent their daughters to the
Salem Normal School in an effort to focus their money towards their sons educations. In upper
class society, men remained the breadwinners, and so a sons education was seen as more
important to the family. A doctors son may need to attend private schooling and have some
college experience to takeover his familys practice, and therefore step into the breadwinner role.
For the upper class, a sons education was more of an investment than a daughters. Attending a
normal school allowed the upper class daughters to be educated, but not at an excessive expense.

SALEM NORMAL SCHOOL: A RESULT OF A CLASSIST SOCIETY

The majority of the upper class continued to send their daughters to private schools or
even Salems public high school (Maloney, 1990, p. 42). As stated previously, in upper class
society men remained the breadwinners of the family. Women did not need to go to school to
pursue professional endeavors. The public high school provided inexpensive option and featured
a curriculum based in the classics (Maloney, 1990, p. 42). The upper class men who did send
their daughters to the normal schools may have done so in a way to continue with class
separation. Those of all economic backgrounds attended the public high school. At the Salem
Normal School the majority of the girls attending came from at least the working class (Maloney,
1990, p. 40).
Conclusion
A societys beliefs and its economy directly impact its education system. The
Massachusetts public education system was a result of a classist society, where the mixing of
classes was unwanted. The Massachusetts public school system was created in part due to the
upper classes refusal to be educated with the lower classes. Public schools were made to give the
lower classes an opportunity to receive an education. Normal schools followed the creation of a
public school system because the newly formed public schools needed trained teachers to teach
in them. If the public schools were going to compete with the established private academies, they
had to have quality teachers. The creation of these normal schools, specifically the Salem
Normal School, was timed with the emergence of manufacturing in America and the beginning
of the Industrial Revolution. Daughters of farmers and fishermen, whose families were selfemployed and had an unreliable income, from Salem filled the Salem Normal Schools seeking to
gain paid employment and become a financial contributor to their family. The schools were all
female institutions because of societal beliefs that looked negatively at teaching as a profession

SALEM NORMAL SCHOOL: A RESULT OF A CLASSIST SOCIETY

for the men of the household. The effects of this classist society, these negative views on male
teachers and the industrial economy still permeate our society today and impact the education
system. Making up over two thirds of public school teachers, females continue to dominate the
teaching profession (Fast facts, 2014). As stated in previous paragraphs, there is still a disparity
in the types of schools upper class and lower class students attend, with the majority upper class
attending the elite institutions. While our modern society may believe we have moved on from
the thinking of the 1700s and 1800s, it seems that the beliefs of those years continue to influence
our educational system and therefore our society. Yet we must remember these societal beliefs
lead to a positive change in our society: generations of working class women being education
and joining the workforce. The women of the first classes of the Salem Normal School were
helped by beliefs of their society and the market of their economy to make educational history.
Massachusetts societal beliefs and the Salem economy enabled educational history to be made
and recounted today as a landmark in American education.

SALEM NORMAL SCHOOL: A RESULT OF A CLASSIST SOCIETY

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