19th Century West Point

West Point is a central character in American history generally, but especially to the history of mathematics education because (1) it was the country's first and largest school of mathematics and engineering for half a century, (2)  it was modeled in some ways after the École Polytechnique in Paris, (3) it had an enormous influence on other college and high school mathematics programs in the United States in the 19th Century through the teachers and textbooks it produced.

The following two recent publications address different aspects of West Point's importance:

Zelbo, Sian (2023). A Re-examination of the Nineteenth Century French Influence on American Mathematics Education through Textbook Author Charles Davies. In: A. Karp, F. Furinghetti, G. Schubring, J. Zender, J. Prytz, K. Bjarnadóttir, and Y. Weiss (eds.), Dig Where You Stand 7: Proceedings of the Seventh International Conference on the History of Mathematics Education, 331-345. Münster: WTM. Link.

Abstract: Charles Davies was a prolific and influential nineteenth-century author of mathematics textbooks. Davies’s 1835 adaptation of Bourdon’s Élémens d’Algèbre is of particular interest because it forms part of a larger story about French influence on American mathematics education by way of the United States Military Academy at West Point. Prior studies have argued that French-American influence was undercut by the tendency of authors to alter the French analytic style of pedagogy for American audiences. This study adds to that line of research by giving more evidence of how this particular book originated and how the content was altered. It shows that Davies took credit for the translation of his subordinate, Edward Ross, and then simplified the book by removing modern mathematical concepts. Rather than spreading novel French ideas about mathematics, Davies’s 1835 algebra book and its many subsequent editions likely reinforced the status quo of American mathematics education for decades.

Zelbo, Sian. "The Role of the United States Military Academy at West Point in the Formation of America's Engineering Profession (1802 to 1850)." Histoire & Mesure 38, no. 2 (2023): 217-240. Link.

Abstract: The United States Military Academy at West Point, founded in 1802, produced the nation’s first academically trained engineers and far more graduates than any other engineering program in America in the first half of the 19th century. Although these statistics suggest that the school had a profound effect on the engineering community at that time, the country in fact had a vibrant community of engineering practitioners who operated wholly apart from university engineering programs. This study explores the relationship between West Point and the engineering profession in the United States using data on the careers of the school’s graduates. It shows that despite the prestige and influence of West Point in elite circles, its role in shaping the engineering profession as a whole during these years was likely modest.