By 1850, many states in the U.S. began implementing compulsory school attendance laws, mandating that children attend school regularly. This movement aimed to standardize education and ensure that all children received basic literacy and numeracy skills. However, these laws often faced criticism for being impractical for farm children, reflecting the tension between educational reform and rural lifestyles.

The spread of compulsory school attendance laws in the U.S. by 1850 significantly increased literacy rates. This surge fueled the explosion of 19th- and 20th-century American poetry, as more voices began to contribute to the literary landscape, enriching the diversity of poetic expression.