Two Hundred and Twenty Years of American Military Schools

Abstract

The purpose of this chapter is to provide an overview of the history of American military schools starting with the establishment of the United States Military Academy at West Point in 1802 through the expansion of the concept in purpose and educational level to 2020. The development of the military school model has its hero with Sylvanus Thayer of West Point. The expansion was led by Alden Partridge, Francis H. Smith, and Stephen B. Luce, who helped bring military schools to state higher education, maritime education, and private secondary education. The political, economic, and cultural challenges that faced military schools more than once caused significant numbers of schools to close, the most dramatically during and after the Vietnam War. However, since that time there has occurred a resurgence with advancements made into the field of charter schools, public education, and co-education. The chapter also illustrates examples of prominent political leaders and the military contributions in the Civil War, World War I, World War II, and the Gulf War.