Altars Quote by Ulysses S. Grant
“Encourage free schools and resolve that not one dollar appropriated for their support shall be appropriated to the support of any sectarian schools. Resolve that neither the state nor nation, nor both combined, shall support institutions of learning other than those sufficient to afford every child growing up in the land of opportunity of a good common school education, unmixed with sectarian, pagan, or atheistical dogmas. Leave the matter of religion to the family altar, the church and the private school supported entirely by private contributions. Keep the church and state forever separate.”
About This Quote
Source Speech: Presidential address, 1875, Education Reform Initiative
Calls for secular, publicly funded schools free from religious influence, ensuring equal education for all children.
In simple terms: Secular public education for all.
Key Takeaway
Support non‑sectarian schools.
Themes
education
separation of church and state
equality
Mood
determined
serious
Type
political
policy
When to use this quote
- policy drafting
- school board decisions
- community advocacy
Key Concepts
public funding
religious neutrality
equal opportunity
Questions to Reflect On
- What mechanisms protect school funding from sectarian bias?
- How to ensure quality while maintaining neutrality?
A Different Perspective
Implementation may face strong religious opposition.
![“[I]t would be unjust to our people and dangerous to our institutions to apply any portion of revenues of the nation or of the States to the support of sectarian schools.” quote by James A. Garfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/6c1/james-a-garfield-3517_church_i-t-would-be-unjust-to-our-people-and-da_319846.jpg)
