{"product_id":"testimonial-on-behalf-of-miss-marsha-shearers-moral-character-and-ability-to-teach-common-school-harrisburg-pa-1855","title":"Testimonial on Behalf of Miss Marsha Shearer's Moral Character and Ability to Teach Common School, Harrisburg, PA, 1854","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003eI was happy to find this manuscript letter, written in Harrisburg (then Harrisburgh) PA in 1854 on behalf of a Miss Marsha Shearer, attesting to her (most important) moral character, learning, and ability to instruct, such that she be granted a one year teaching appointment at the town's common school.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLead by Horace Mann, it was in the 1830s that the Common School movement took hold, advocating for (and leading to) the widespread creation of \u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003etax-supported, free public schools intended to serve children of all social classes and religious. The need for teachers at these schools (and financial constraints) gave rise to what would become a predominance of women teachers--who were expected to be fulfill many roles and to be paragons of virtue. In order to gain certification, a prospective teacher would need to attain testimonials like this one from leaders in the community--this one, if I read it correctly, from the Town Superintendent.  A succinct little piece of history. \u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv data-copy-service-computed-style='font-family: \"Google Sans\", Roboto, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-weight: 400; margin: 0px; text-decoration: none; border-bottom: 0px rgb(31, 31, 31);' id=\"m-x-content\" class=\"D5ad8b\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv data-copy-service-computed-style='font-family: \"Google Sans\", Roboto, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-weight: 400; margin: 0px; text-decoration: none; border-bottom: 0px rgb(31, 31, 31);' class=\"s7d4ef X6JNf PFXse\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv data-copy-service-computed-style='font-family: \"Google Sans\", Roboto, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-weight: 400; margin: 0px; text-decoration: none; border-bottom: 0px rgb(31, 31, 31);' data-ved=\"2ahUKEwiDm4TZ6rmVAxWiFVkFHaV8HjgQ2b4KegQIABAF\" data-hveid=\"CAAQBQ\" data-ve-view=\"\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv data-copy-service-computed-style=\"font-family: Roboto, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 400; margin: 0px; text-decoration: none; border-bottom: 0px rgb(31, 31, 31);\" data-ved=\"2ahUKEwiDm4TZ6rmVAxWiFVkFHaV8HjgQ274KegQIABAG\" class=\"Pqkn2e\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv data-copy-service-computed-style='font-family: \"Google Sans\", Roboto, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 400; margin: 0px; text-decoration: none; border-bottom: 0px rgb(0, 29, 53);' class=\"jloFI GkDqAd rJweXb\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv data-copy-service-computed-style='font-family: \"Google Sans\", Roboto, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 400; margin: 0px; text-decoration: none; border-bottom: 0px rgb(0, 29, 53);' data-complete=\"true\" data-ved=\"2ahUKEwiDm4TZ6rmVAxWiFVkFHaV8HjgQ7uAMegQIABAH\" data-hveid=\"CAAQBw\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv data-copy-service-computed-style='font-family: \"Google Sans\", Roboto, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 400; margin: 0px; text-decoration: none; border-bottom: 0px rgb(0, 29, 53);' data-complete=\"true\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv data-copy-service-computed-style='font-family: \"Google Sans\", Roboto, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 400; margin: 0px; text-decoration: none; border-bottom: 0px rgb(0, 29, 53);'\u003e\n\u003cdiv data-copy-service-computed-style='font-family: \"Google Sans\", Roboto, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 400; margin: 0px; text-decoration: none; border-bottom: 0px rgb(0, 29, 53);'\u003e\n\u003cdiv data-copy-service-computed-style='font-family: \"Google Sans\", Roboto, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 400; margin: 0px; text-decoration: none; border-bottom: 0px rgb(10, 10, 10);' class=\"LT6XE\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv data-copy-service-computed-style='font-family: \"Google Sans\", Roboto, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 400; margin: 0px; text-decoration: none; border-bottom: 0px rgb(10, 10, 10);' class=\"RJPOee EIJn2\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv data-copy-service-computed-style='font-family: \"Google Sans\", Roboto, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 400; margin: 0px; text-decoration: none; border-bottom: 0px rgb(10, 10, 10);' data-rl=\"en\" class=\"pOOWX\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv data-copy-service-computed-style='font-family: \"Google Sans\", Roboto, Arial, sans-serif; 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font-size: 16px; font-weight: 400; margin: 0px; text-decoration: none; border-bottom: 0px rgb(10, 10, 10);' data-sfc-cb=\"\" data-sfc-root=\"ep\" class=\"pWvJNd\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv data-copy-service-computed-style='font-family: \"Google Sans\", Roboto, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 400; margin: 0px; text-decoration: none; border-bottom: 0px rgb(10, 10, 10);' data-sfc-inited=\"2\" data-ved=\"2ahUKEwiV0YDZ6rmVAxVCz_ACHQLqBr0Q3KYQegoIAggACAAIARAB\" data-sfc-cb=\"\" data-sfc-root=\"ep\" class=\"mZJni Dn7Fzd\" data-xid=\"VpUvz\" data-container-id=\"main-col\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e7 3\/4\" x 4 7\/8\". Ink on pale blue paper. A little toning and fading, old fold lines as evident, and one piece of tape on reverse as found, but not fragile, completely readable, and holding together fine. \u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/section\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"critical EYE Finds","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48531708084478,"sku":null,"price":45.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0015\/5022\/1382\/files\/IMG_8400_d17697a9-6370-4bbc-8c2d-fe903ebdb985.png?v=1783089147","url":"https:\/\/www.criticaleyefinds.com\/products\/testimonial-on-behalf-of-miss-marsha-shearers-moral-character-and-ability-to-teach-common-school-harrisburg-pa-1855","provider":"critical EYE Finds","version":"1.0","type":"link"}