The first schools in America were called Latin Grammar schools, as the communities consisted mainly of Puritans who only sought education so the younger generations could read the Bible.
Latin grammar schools were meant to prepare young men for leadership and higher learning. They were required if a person wanted to go on to university learning.
The first Latin grammar school was created in 1635 by the Puritans in Boston. The school was created out of concern over losing aging population and therefore creating a loss of leadership and education. The schools only taught boys and were focused on Greek and Latin with emphasis in the humanities. Boys coming out of these schools were considered well prepared for university. Harvard was created by the Puritans as well to be the university to match with their grammar schools.
