This period also witnessed an increasing participation by the government in the development of adult educational opportunities. At the federal level this was evidenced by the establishment of a Department of Education, the passage of the Smith-Lever Act creating the Cooperative Extension Service, and the passage of the Smith-Hughes Vocational Education Act. At the state level it was evidenced by the passage of permissive legislation in a number of states and the provision of direct financial aid in a few, and the establishment of service bureaus for adult education in the departments of education in three states. At the local level it was evidenced by increasing support for evening schools, libraries, museums, and county agricultural extension work." From Knowles, M. (1977 ). A History of the Adult Education Movement in the United States. Huntington, NY: Robert E. Krieger Publishing, p.74

"While the dominating spirit of the adult education movement up to the Civil War had been the diffusion of knowledge, that of the period between the Civil War and World War I might be characterized as the diffusion of organization. In this period the penchant for joining, which Tocqueville had observed in Amercians in the 1830s, achieved a high level of expression. Hardly a year passed without the forming of at least one new organization concerned with social- or self-improvement. Most of the types of institutions providing educational opportunities to adults in our day trace their birth to this era." (p.36)

• The country continued to expand tremendously. The population grew from just over 30 million in 1860 to over 100 million by 1920.
• The industrial revolution began transforming the character of America from that of an agrarian society to an industrial one.
• With the advent of industrialization came urbanization. By 1920 over half of the population lived in cities.
• The federal government was stronger than ever after the Civil War--it adopted policies that favored big business, efficient, centralized government, and a strong feeling of nationalism. By World War I America realized that it had become one of the strongest nations and would not be able to escape its responsibilities in world affairs. Also during these years the 13^th through 19^th Amendments were passed which further democratized political power.
• Non-Protestant institutions, Jewish and Catholic ones in particular, began to increase. The belief in separation of church and state became even stronger.
• Enormous changes took place in the intellectual spirit of this time as science and its applications took precedence over religion and philosophy. "'Useful,' 'functional,' 'pragmatic' became the predominant standards for knowledge and science as well as for art, literature, and almost all intellectual pursuits" (Knowles, 1977).

1867 The Federal Department of Education is created.

1874 The Chautauqua is founded at Chautauqua Lake in New York as a normal school for Sunday school teachers. By 1878 they had added the Chautauqua Literary and Scientific Circle--a 4-year program of home reading done in connection with local reading groups. This was the first integrated core program in adult education on a national scale. The organization has expanded over the years adding schools, lecture series, and extracurricular activities. Chautauqua developed new forms of adult education such as correspondence courses, summer schools, university extension, and book clubs.

1874 The Woman's Christian Temperance Union--it is the leading women's organization in the country until 1900.

1876 The American Library Association is formed.

1876 The first large-scale national fair (the predecessor to the world fair), the Philadelphia Centennial Exposition, is held.

1880s - early 1900s Many voluntary organizations and agencies are set up during this period. Women's groups such as the National American Woman Suffrage Association (1889) and the Junior League (1901) were formed. Although the goals of these two organizations were quite different, they both played an important role in giving women opportunities to learn. Men were also extremely active in forming fraternal and service organizations. The Knights of Columbus (1882)) and the Lions (1917) are just two of many examples.

1881 The Tuskeegee Normal School for Colored Teachers (now Tuskeegee University) is established by Booker T. Washington.

1881 The American Red Cross is organized through the efforts of Clara Barton.

1887 The State Normal College for Colored Students (now Florida A&M University) opens in Tallahassee. In 1891 it became a land-grant school as a result of the 2^nd Morrill Act. Go Rattlers!

1889 Hull House is founded in Chicago by Jane Addams and Ellen Gates Starr as a social settlement. Hull House was developed as a response to the mounting social problems caused by urbanization--not only did it address people's basic needs, it also helped to set up labor unions and an emergency medical clinic.

1890 The Second Morrill Act expands on the Act of 1862 by including historically black schools to the system of land-grant colleges. These schools are also known as black land-grant institutions.

1901 The first public junior college is opened in Joliet, IL.

1902 The Farmers' Union is organized to carry out educational programming for farmers.

1909 The NAACP is formed by a group of renowned African-Americans. W.E.B. DuBois, one of the founders, edits The Crisis (the publication of the NAACP) starting in 1910.

1914 Smith-Lever Act is passed, establishing the Cooperative Extension Service. Extension work is a great provider of adult education.

1915 - 1918 World War I takes place.