Who were the key historical figures featured in this episode and what were their contributions to public education?Noah Webster made many contributions to public education. One of these suggested that all British school books be removed from America after the Revolutionary War. Along with this, he created the “Blue-Black Speller,” which was used to teach many children a new version of English. This new English excluded many terms used by the English and thus was the basis on which American English was born. Thomas Jefferson was a man who believed that all American citizens should be educated so that they could exercise their rights. He considered public education essential to a democracy. A proposal he put forward for public education would ensure that all children could attend public schools for three years. However, just like other early school reforms, this proposal received much rejection and was never implemented. Despite this rejection, Jefferson still believed that America needed public education. Eventually, the University of Virginia opened. Although his bills and proposals benefiting public education never saw the light of day, he still made many contributions to public education by providing the foundation for how a democracy should manage the education of its citizens.