Was the introduction of public education in the U.S. responsible for increasing the literacy rate?

The answer is complicated, but the best evidence suggests that most of the improvements in literacy spiked in this country well before government got seriously involved in education. Americans realized early on that being able to read, write and do arithmetic, and to teach their children those skills, was essential to a life well lived. What we today call the three “Rs” (Reading, wRiting and aRithmetic) were taught in private school settings or at home.

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