Historically Speaking | The Unintended Consequences of Attacking Higher Education

March 21, 2026 - 22:56

One of the lessons I try to teach my students through history is the idea of unintended consequences. A good example comes from the presidency of Andrew Jackson, who had a deep-seated distrust of elites and their institutions, including universities. His political movement, which ushered in the era of Jacksonian Democracy, was openly hostile to established colleges, viewing them as bastions of privilege for the wealthy.

This antagonism, however, did not destroy higher learning. Instead, it catalyzed a profound and lasting transformation. The populist pressure created a powerful demand for more accessible education. In direct response, state legislatures across the expanding nation began to charter new colleges at an unprecedented rate. Dozens of institutions were founded not as private, elite seminaries, but as public or denominationally-affiliated schools aimed at a broader populace.

Furthermore, this period saw the birth of the normal school, dedicated specifically to training public school teachers, and the academy movement, which provided practical secondary education. The attack on the old model of college, therefore, did not end it but forced a dramatic diversification and democratization of American higher education. The system expanded far beyond its original narrow confines, ultimately reaching more people than ever before—a classic historical irony where an assault on an institution spurred its growth and reform in unexpected ways.