In the past, our educational system, defined in its widest sense, has been guided importantly by the marketplace toward the broader needs of our economy.
Indeed, the history of education in the United States traces a path heavily influenced by two themes: the need for a workforce with the skills required to interact productively with the evolving economic structure, and a thirst for knowledge among the American people. The educational system during the early years of the United States was far less formalized than today.