In this pamphlet he could not set forth his extreme views of education
because even the most liberal people in the town were not in favor of
them. Philadelphia was at that time the home of liberal ideas in the
colonies. Many people were in favor of altering the old system of
education and teaching science and other practical subjects in addition
to Latin and Greek; but they did not favor abolishing the study of these
languages, and they could not see the necessity of making English so
all-important as Franklin wished. He was compelled, therefore, to
conform his arguments to the opinions of those from whom he expected
subscriptions, and he did this with his usual discretion, making,
however, the English branches as important as was possible under the
circumstances.
The result of the pamphlet was that five thousand pounds were
subscribed, and the academy started within a year, occupying a large
building on Fourth Street, south of Arch, which had been built for the
use of George Whitefield, the famous English preacher. It supplied a
real need of the community and had plenty of pupils. Within six years it
obtained a charter from the proprietors of the province, and became a
college, with an academy and a charitable school annexed.
A young Scotchman, the Rev. William Smith, was appointed to govern the
institution, and was called the provost. He had very advanced opinions
on education, holding much the same views as were expressed in
Franklin’s proposals; but he was not in accord with Franklin’s extreme
ideas.[3] Those who intended to become lawyers, doctors, or clergymen
should be taught to walk in the old paths and to study Latin and Greek;
but the rest were to be deluged with a knowledge of accounts,
mathematics, oratory, poetry, chronology, history, natural and mechanic
philosophy, agriculture, ethics, physics, chemistry, anatomy, modern
languages, fencing, dancing, religion, and everything else that by any
chance might be useful.
Thus the academy founded by Franklin became the College of
Philadelphia, and as managed by Provost Smith it was a very good one and
played a most interesting part in the life and politics of the colony.
Its charter was revoked and its property confiscated during the
Revolution, and another college was created, called the University of
the State of Pennsylvania, which was worthless. Eleven years afterwards
the old college was restored to its rights, and soon after that it was
combined with the State University, and the union of the two produced
the present University of Pennsylvania.[4] It should, however, have been
called Franklin University, which would have been in every way a better
name.
FOOTNOTES:
[2] Pennsylvania: Colony and Commonwealth, p. 80.
[3] Pennsylvania: Colony and Commonwealth, p. 141.
[4] Pennsylvania: Colony and Commonwealth, pp. 374-377, 381.
III
RELIGION AND MORALS
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