Dominant colonial leaders were thus faced with the threat of mass exodus to the frontier unless they responded by liberalizing political policies, land-grant requirements and religious practices. This threat was a significant factor and of tremendous importance for the future of America.
Another significant factor preventing the rise of a powerful autocracy was the early emphasis on education and literacy. An educated populace is not easily cowed by nor deceived by demogogery, and inspires the rise of the press as watchdog. Even in colonial America, the press served as a vehicle to inform the citizens of political and social issues while providing an outlet for those citizens to express their views.
The foundations of American education and culture were established during the colonial period. Before the end of the 17th century, Harvard College had been founded in Cambridge, Massachusetts (1636), the College of William and Mary began in Virginia, followed a few years later by the Collegiate School of Connecticut which became Yale College. More important was the establishment and growth of a school system authorized by state and local governments. Puritan insistence on the reading of Scripture demanded individual literacy.
As early as 1647, the Massachusetts Bay Colony required every town with more than 50 families to maintain a grammar school to prepare students for college. All the other New England colonies, except Rhode Island, followed Massachusetts' lead soon after.
The first settlers in New England brought their own books, and continued to import books from London. Boston booksellers in the 1680s did a bustling business in classical literature, history, politics, philosophy, science, theology and belles-lettres. The first printing press in the English colonies and the second in North America was built at Harvard College in 1639.
