Blaine Amendments and Compulsory Schooling
Federal and state records · 103 documents, 1852–1969
Blaine Amendments and Compulsory Schooling, 1852–1969: 103 documents online. Each has the full original scan (PDF) and a plain-text version for searching. 4 of them are passages in a bound volume that is also listed; their pages link the volume’s scan and give the page numbers. 3 more are listed with a link to the copy at their source. 1 is listed as not yet located, with what is known about it.
The federal Blaine amendment of 1875–76, the state constitutional conventions that wrote its language into state constitutions, the state laws that first made school attendance compulsory, Oregon’s 1922 law requiring every child to attend a public school, and the Supreme Court cases that settled the limits of state control over schooling.
Each entry opens a page with the scan, the text file where there is one, the source, the rights basis and a ready-made citation. Start with the scan. Use the text to search.
Federal 1875–76 11 documents
Ulysses S. Grant’s call for an amendment, the joint resolution, and the House and Senate votes, with the seven bound parts of the Congressional Record for the session.
- Congressional Record, vol. 4, part 1 (44th Congress, 1st session, 1875–76)
- Congressional Record, vol. 4, part 2 (44th Congress, 1st session, 1875–76)
- Congressional Record, vol. 4, part 3 (44th Congress, 1st session, 1875–76)
- Congressional Record, vol. 4, part 4 (44th Congress, 1st session, 1875–76)
- Congressional Record, vol. 4, part 5 (44th Congress, 1st session, 1875–76)
- Congressional Record, vol. 4, part 6 (44th Congress, 1st session, 1875–76)
- Congressional Record, vol. 4, part 7 (44th Congress, 1st session, 1875–76)
- Ulysses S. Grant’s seventh annual message to Congress, December 7, 1875
- H.R. 1, 44th Congress: joint resolution proposing an amendment to the Constitution (the Blaine amendment), December 14, 1875
- Congressional Record, House, August 4, 1876: debate and vote on the Blaine amendment
- Congressional Record, Senate, August 14, 1876: debate and vote on the Blaine amendment
State conventions 33 documents
Journals and debates of state constitutional conventions, 1875–1956, including conventions that adopted no-aid provisions.
- Journal, Missouri Constitutional Convention of 1875, vol. 1 (printed 1920)
- Journal, Missouri Constitutional Convention of 1875, vol. 2 (printed 1920)
- Journal of the Constitutional Convention of the State of Texas, begun at Austin, September 6, 1875
- Proceedings of the Constitutional Convention held in Denver, December 20, 1875, to frame a constitution for the State of Colorado (printed 1907)
- Debates and Proceedings of the Constitutional Convention of the State of California, 1878–79, vol. 1
- Debates and Proceedings of the Constitutional Convention of the State of California, 1878–79, vol. 2
- Debates and Proceedings of the Constitutional Convention of the State of California, 1878–79, vol. 3
- Official Report of the Proceedings of the First Constitutional Convention of North Dakota, 1889
- Journal of the Constitutional Convention of South Dakota, July 1889
- Proceedings and Debates of the Constitutional Convention of Idaho, 1889, vol. 1 (printed 1912)
- Proceedings and Debates of the Constitutional Convention of Idaho, 1889, vol. 2 (printed 1912)
- Journal and Debates of the Constitutional Convention of the State of Wyoming, 1889 (printed 1893)
- Proceedings and Debates of the Constitutional Convention held in Helena, Montana, July 4–August 17, 1889 (printed 1921)
- Revised Record of the Constitutional Convention of the State of New York, May 8 to September 29, 1894, vol. 2 (printed 1900)
- Revised Record of the Constitutional Convention of the State of New York, May 8 to September 29, 1894, vol. 3 (printed 1900)
- Revised Record of the Constitutional Convention of the State of New York, May 8 to September 29, 1894, vol. 4 (printed 1900)
- Revised Record of the Constitutional Convention of the State of New York, May 8 to September 29, 1894, vol. 5 (printed 1900)
- Revised Record of the Constitutional Convention of the State of New York, May 8 to September 29, 1894, vol. 1 (printed 1900)
- Official Proceedings of the Constitutional Convention of the State of Alabama, May 21–September 3, 1901, vol. 1 (Wetumpka Printing Co., 1940)
- Official Proceedings of the Constitutional Convention of the State of Alabama, May 21–September 3, 1901, vol. 2 (Wetumpka Printing Co., 1940)
- Official Proceedings of the Constitutional Convention of the State of Alabama, May 21–September 3, 1901, vol. 3 (Wetumpka Printing Co., 1940)
- Official Proceedings of the Constitutional Convention of the State of Alabama, May 21–September 3, 1901, vol. 4 (Wetumpka Printing Co., 1940)
- Journal of the Constitutional Convention of Virginia, held in the city of Richmond, beginning June 12, 1901
- Proceedings of the Constitutional Convention of the Proposed State of Oklahoma, held at Guthrie, 1906–1907
- Constitution of the State of New Mexico (1910–1911)
- Constitution adopted by Arizona: letter from the Secretary of the Interior transmitting a copy of the constitution (1911)
- Debates in the Massachusetts Constitutional Convention, 1917–1918, vol. 1
- Debates in the Massachusetts Constitutional Convention, 1917–1918, vol. 2
- Debates in the Massachusetts Constitutional Convention, 1917–1918, vol. 3
- Debates in the Massachusetts Constitutional Convention, 1917–1918, vol. 4
- Proceedings of the Constitutional Convention of Hawaii, 1950, vol. I
- Proceedings of the Constitutional Convention of Hawaii, 1950, vol. II
- Alaska Constitutional Convention Proceedings, November 8, 1955–February 6, 1956 (complete)
State constitutions 7 documents
Francis Newton Thorpe’s seven-volume compilation of the federal and state constitutions (1909), the texts of the state provisions.
- Thorpe, The Federal and State Constitutions, Colonial Charters, and Other Organic Laws, vol. 1 (59th Cong., 2d sess., H. Doc. 357)
- Thorpe, The Federal and State Constitutions, Colonial Charters, and Other Organic Laws, vol. 2 (59th Cong., 2d sess., H. Doc. 357)
- Thorpe, The Federal and State Constitutions, Colonial Charters, and Other Organic Laws, vol. 3 (59th Cong., 2d sess., H. Doc. 357)
- Thorpe, The Federal and State Constitutions, Colonial Charters, and Other Organic Laws, vol. 4 (59th Cong., 2d sess., H. Doc. 357)
- Thorpe, The Federal and State Constitutions, Colonial Charters, and Other Organic Laws, vol. 5 (59th Cong., 2d sess., H. Doc. 357)
- Thorpe, The Federal and State Constitutions, Colonial Charters, and Other Organic Laws, vol. 6 (59th Cong., 2d sess., H. Doc. 357)
- Thorpe, The Federal and State Constitutions, Colonial Charters, and Other Organic Laws, vol. 7 (59th Cong., 2d sess., H. Doc. 357)
Compulsory attendance laws 36 documents
The session laws and school codes in which each state first required children to attend school, 1852–1918. Each page names the act or section to look for.
- Acts and Resolves passed by the General Court of Massachusetts, 1852–53
- Session Laws of Washington Territory, 1871
- Statutes of the State of Nevada, 1873
- Statutes of California, 20th session, 1873–74
- General Laws of the State of Kansas, 1874
- Laws of the State of New York, 1874
- Acts of the Legislature of the State of New Jersey, 1875
- Digest of the Laws of New Hampshire pertaining to Common Schools (1876)
- Election, School and Assessment Laws of Wyoming Territory (1876)
- Ohio School Laws, from Revised Statutes, part second, title III (1879)
- Laws of Wisconsin relating to Common Schools (1880)
- Session Laws of the Territory of Dakota, 1883
- Laws of the State of Illinois, 1883
- Montana Territory Session Laws, 1883, 13th regular session
- Laws of Minnesota relating to the Public School System (1891)
- Revised Statutes of Idaho Territory, 1887
- The School Law of the State of Colorado (1889)
- The Amended School Laws of Oregon (1893)
- Laws of the Territory of Utah, 1890
- Compilation of the School Laws of New Mexico (1891)
- Laws of the General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, 1895
- Kentucky Common School Laws (1896)
- The School Law of Indiana (1897)
- Acts of the Legislature of West Virginia, 1897
- Session Laws of the Territory of Arizona, 1899
- School Laws of Iowa (1902)
- Revised School Laws of Missouri (1909)
- Acts of the State of Tennessee, 1905
- School Laws for the Free Public Schools of Delaware (1909)
- Public School Law of North Carolina (1907)
- Virginia School Laws (1908)
- Digest of Laws relating to Public Schools of Arkansas (1909)
- General Acts of Alabama, 1915
- Digest of School Laws of Florida (1915)
- Georgia Laws 1916, Act 576, p.101: compulsory school attendance act
- School Laws of the State of Mississippi (1918)
Oregon 1922 2 documents
The Compulsory Education Bill, passed by initiative at the November 1922 election.
Pierce–Meyer–Farrington 3 documents
Meyer v. Nebraska (1923), Pierce v. Society of Sisters (1925) and Farrington v. Tokushige (1927).
Surveys and digests 15 documents
Federal Bureau of Education surveys of state school law and compulsory attendance, 1907–1935, state school-law compilations, and two later statistical digests.
- School Laws of Oklahoma
- State School Systems: Legislation and Judicial Decisions relating to Public Education (Bureau of Education, 1907)
- State School Systems II (Bureau of Education, 1909)
- State School Systems III (Bureau of Education, 1910)
- Legislation and Judicial Decisions relating to Education, Oct. 1909–Oct. 1912 (Bulletin 1913)
- Compulsory School Attendance (U.S. Bureau of Education Bulletin, 1914)
- General School Law of South Carolina
- Texas School Laws
- Digest of State Laws relating to Public Education in force January 1, 1915 (Bulletin 1915 No. 47)
- State Laws relating to Education enacted in 1915, 1916, and 1917 (Bulletin 1918)
- State Laws relating to Education enacted in 1918 and 1919 (Bulletin 1920)
- Laws relating to Compulsory Education (Bulletin 1928, No. 20)
- Compulsory School Attendance Laws and their Administration (Bulletin 1935, No. 4)
- Digest of Educational Statistics, 1964 edition (OE Bulletin 1964 No. 18)
- Digest of Educational Statistics, 1969 edition
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