Morrill Land Grant Act of 1890
The Morrill Land Grant Act of 1890 is a significant piece of legislation in American educational history, designed to address the educational disparities faced by African Americans in the post-Civil War United States. Following the initial Morrill Act of 1862, which established land-grant colleges primarily for white students, the 1890 Act aimed to create institutions specifically for African Americans in southern states where such educational facilities were lacking. This expansion led to the establishment of several historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs), which became vital centers for higher education, particularly during the era of Jim Crow laws.
These 1890 institutions provided essential access to education, focusing on agriculture, mechanic arts, and other practical professions. Over time, HBCUs have evolved into respected educational institutions, serving diverse student populations and contributing significantly to the academic and social fabric of the United States. The legacy of the Morrill Land Grant Act of 1890 continues to influence higher education, highlighting the ongoing importance of equity and access in educational opportunities.
Morrill Land Grant Act of 1890
In 1862, the United States Congress passed the first Morrill Land Grant Act to authorize the establishment of a land-grant university in each state to educate citizens in agriculture, mechanic arts, home economics, and other practical professions. Because of the emphasis on agriculture and mechanic arts, these institutions were referred to as A&M colleges. Because of the legal separation of the races in the South, African Americans were not permitted to attend these original land-grant institutions. This situation was rectified in 1890, when Congress passed the second Morrill Land Grant Act, expanding the 1862 system of land-grant colleges to provide support for the establishment of African American institutions of higher learning in states that lacked such facilities.
Each of the southern states that did not have an African American college by 1890 established one or more under the second Morrill Land Grant Act. The 1890 institutions evolved into a major educational resource for the United States. For years these institutions provided the principal means of access to higher education for African Americans, particularly in the Jim Crow South, until the civil rights movement opened other educational opportunities. Many historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) continue to be respected institutions of higher learning, not only for black students but for students of all races.
Bibliography
"1890 Land Grant History." Prairie View A&M University. PVAMU, 2015. Web. 8 Apr. 2015.
Geiger, Roger L., and Nathan M. Sorber. The Land-Grant Colleges and the Reshaping of American Higher Education. New Brunswick: Transaction, 2013. Print.
Lee, John Michael, Jr., and Samaad Wes Keys. Land-Grant But Unequal: State One-to-One Match Funding for 1890 Land-Grant Universities. Washington, DC: Assn. of Public and Land-Grant Universities, 2013. APLU. Web. 8 Apr. 2015.
Staley, David J. "Democratizing American Higher Education: The Legacy of the Morrill Land Grant Act." Origins. Ohio State U, Jan. 2013. Web. 8 Apr. 2015.
Sternberg, Robert J. The Modern Land-Grant University. West Lafayette: Purdue UP, 2014. Print.