▁education ▁in ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁began ▁in ▁the ▁early ▁ 1 9 2 0 s . ▁It ▁started ▁with ▁the ▁Smith - T owner ▁bill , ▁a ▁bill ▁that ▁would ▁eventually ▁establish ▁the ▁National ▁Education ▁Association ▁and ▁provide ▁federal ▁funds ▁to ▁public ▁schools . ▁ ▁Event ually , ▁it ▁became ▁the ▁movement ▁to ▁mand ate ▁public ▁school ing ▁and ▁dissol ve ▁par och ial ▁and ▁other ▁private ▁schools . ▁ ▁The ▁movement ▁focused ▁on ▁the ▁public ' s ▁fear ▁of ▁imm igr ants ▁and ▁the ▁need ▁to ▁American ize ; ▁it ▁had ▁anti - C atholic ▁over ton es ▁and ▁found ▁support ▁from ▁groups ▁like ▁the ▁Ku ▁Kl ux ▁K lan . ▁ ▁The ▁movement ▁gained ▁some ▁legisl ative ▁attention ▁when ▁a ▁ 1 9 2 0 ▁Michigan ▁refer endum ▁for ▁comp uls ory ▁public ▁education ▁received ▁ 4 0 % ▁of ▁the ▁vote . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 2 2 ▁Oregon ▁passed ▁a ▁similar ▁refer endum . ▁Event ually ▁this ▁law ▁was ▁challeng ed ▁and ▁un anim ously ▁struck ▁down ▁by ▁the ▁U . S . ▁Supreme ▁Court ▁in ▁Pier ce ▁v . ▁Society ▁of ▁Sister s . ▁ ▁The ▁movement ▁experienced ▁a ▁post – World ▁War ▁II ▁rev ival ▁when ▁some ▁Americans ▁began ▁to ▁fear ▁the ▁power ▁of ▁the ▁Catholic ▁Church ▁and ▁wanted ▁to ▁ensure ▁public ▁funds ▁were ▁not ▁finding ▁their ▁way ▁to ▁par och ial ▁schools . ▁ ▁Some ▁compared ▁par och ial ▁schools ▁to ▁seg reg ation ▁and ▁accused ▁them ▁of ▁h ind ering ▁dem ocracy . ▁