Dissenting Academies in England: Their Rise and Progress and their Place among the Educational Systems of the Country

After the Restoration, as a result of the 1661 Act of Uniformity, dissenting academies were established to offer higher education similar to that of Oxford and Cambridge but without the requirement of conformity to Church of England teachings. In opposition to the older universities, they promoted a more contemporary curriculum based on the practical sciences and modern history. After the Toleration Act of 1689 they increased in number around the country and eventually became public institu...