More than Just War

Source: UMD Morrill Hall, Wikimedia

The federal government used its control of vast amounts of public land to do more than entice people to move out West. Once they settled there, the government also helped provide them with an education through the Morrill Act of 1862. This act gave states 30,000 acres of public land for each member of Congress it had to be put towards the creation of at least one college that focused at least in part on the study of agriculture and mechanics.

In 1890, a second Morrill Act was passed in order to guarantee educational opportunities for African Americans facing discrimination by funding predominantly black colleges.  Ultimately, 106 colleges and universities were created through the Morrill land grant system and its subsequent expansions, including many of the large state institutions.

In Texas, the original Morrill Act funded the creation of Texas A&M and the 1890 version funded Prairie View A&M.

Activity

Examine the following partial map of schools ultimately funded by the original Morrill Act of 1862. Answer the questions that follow.

Source: Land Grant Colleges and Universities, U.S. Dept. of Agriculture

1. How many Big 12 schools were funded by the Morrill Act (As of late 2012: Baylor, Iowa State, Kansas University, Kansas State, Oklahoma University, Oklahoma State, The University of Texas at Austin, Texas Christian University, Texas Tech, West Virginia University)? Interactive popup. Assistance may be required.

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   Four. Iowa State, Kansas State, Oklahoma State, West Virginia
2. How many schools in the SEC were funded by the Morrill Act (As of late 2012: University of Florida, University of Georgia, University of Kentucky, University of South Carolina, University of Tennessee, Vanderbilt, University of Alabama, University of Arkansas, Auburn, Louisiana State (LSU), Mississippi State, University of Mississippi (Ole Miss), University of Missouri, Texas A&M)? Interactive popup. Assistance may be required.

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   Ten. University of Florida, University of Georgia, University of Kentucky, University of Tennessee, University of Arkansas, Auburn, LSU, Mississippi State, University of Missouri, Texas A&M
3. What Ivy League school was funded by the Morrill Act (Harvard, Princeton, Yale, Dartmouth, Brown, Cornell, University of Pennsylvania, Columbia)? Interactive popup. Assistance may be required.

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   Cornell

4. How many Morrill land grant institutions are not located within the contiguous United States?

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   Six. Northern Marianas College, University of Guam, College of Micronesia, American Samoa Community College, University of Puerto Rico, University of the Virgin Islands. These are all located in U.S. territories acquired in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.