The economic decline of rural communities and the accompanying trend toward rural school consolidation are intimately connected to the American liberal and individualist world view. In general, liberalism has meant having a representative government, an economic arrangement that maximizes the freedom of accumulation, and an educational system that…

This book overviews the history of one-room schools in the United States during the 19th century and early 20th century in the midwestern states of Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin, Iowa, Nebraska, Minnesota, North Dakota, and South Dakota. The book is based on rural school records, correspondence of early school officers, contemporary texts, and…