PROBLEMS OF YOUTH

Interpreting Primary Sources

Every American boy, a hundred years ago, lived either on a farm or in such close touch with farm life that he reaped its benefits. He had all the practical knowledge that comes from country surroundings; that is, he could ride, shoot, skate, run, swim; he was handy with tools; he knew the woods; he was physically strong, self-reliant, resourceful, well-developed in body and brain. In addition to which, he had a good moral training at home. He was respectful to his superiors, obedient to his parents, and altogether the best material of which a nation could be made.

We have lived to see an unfortunate change....It is the exception when we see a boy respectful to his superiors and obedient to his parents. It is the rare exception, now, when we see a boy that is handy with tools and capable of taking care of himself under all circumstances. It is the very, very rare exception when we see a boy whose life is absolutely governed by the safe old moral standards....Degeneracy is the word. To combat the system that has turned such a large proportion of our robust, manly, self-reliant boyhood into a lot of flat-chested cigarette-smokers, with shaky nerves and doubtful vitality...[we need to substitute] the better, cleaner, saner pursuits of woodcraft and scouting.

--Boy Scout Handbook, 1910

Out of School Activities of 14,683 Children

Cleveland, June 23, 1913

Where they were seen On streets 7,799

In yards 3,581

In vacant lots 883

In playgrounds 1,869

In alleys 551

What they were doing Doing nothing 5,961

Playing 7,358

Working 1,354

What games they were playing Baseball 1,638

Kites 531

Sand piles 471

Tag 153

Jackstones 325

Dolls 282

Sewing 144

Housekeeping 244

Horse and wagon 113

Bicycle riding 92

Minding baby 60

Reading 52

Roller-skating 47

Gardening 27

Caddy 6

Marbles 2

Playing in other ways, 3,171

Mostly just fooling

Questions to think about:

1. What changes had taken place in the lives of youth, according to the Boy Scout Handbook?

2. What, according to the handbook, were the solutions to the problems of youth?

3. How did children in Cleveland spend their leisure time?

INTERPRETING STATISTICS: EDUCATION

Resources Invested in Education

Spending on Education Spending Per Child 15-19 Percentage of GNP

1860 $60 $ 5.33 1.4

1900 503 20.53 2.9

Improvements in Education

% Illiteracy High School College

10 or older Graduates Enrollment

Total White Black

1870 20 % 11 80 2.0 1.7

1900 11 6 45 6.4 4.0

Proportion of Average Days Proportion of

Young Attending Attended By 17 Year Olds

School Pupils Graduating High School

1870 57 78 2

1890 69 86 3.5

1910 74 113 8.8

1930 81 143 29

1950 82 158 59

Percent of 18-21 Year Olds Percent of Adult Population

Attending College Illiterate

1870 1.7 20

1890 3.0 13

1910 5.1 8

1930 12.4 4

1950 29.9 3

Questions to think about:

1. How many days of school did a typical student attend in 1870? What proportion of young people actually attended school? How likely was such a student to graduate from high school or attend college?

2. Describe the changes that took place in educational expenditures, high school graduation, college enrollment, and literacy rates.