Morrel Act 1862 In order to meet the needs of educational development at that time, the United States enacted the first act in the history of American vocational education, the Morrel Act. This bill is a land increase bill passed by the US Congress. Its main content is to allow American states to lease and sell the land allocated by the federal government, so as to use their income to fund or establish vocational schools or add courses in agriculture or technology to existing schools.

According to the national conditions of the United States and the needs of social development, the Morrel Act promoted the establishment of local state universities through land grant measures, and then changed the internal structure of higher education, which played a positive role in improving American education, emphasizing practicality, individuality and equal educational opportunities, serving the industrial revolution and promoting industrial and agricultural production. In a short period of 18 years after the promulgation of this act, the number of American universities has increased from 9 to more than 500 through land grant and state universities.

The Morrel Act made vocational education an important part of American higher education, which marked the end of the monopoly of the traditional British college system in the United States.

Brief analysis of historical significance;

The Morrel Act promulgated by the US Congress on 1862 is one of the most important laws in the history of American higher education. The initiator of the bill is Congressman Morrel, who was born as a small shopkeeper and made a fortune through hard work and thrift. The main content of the bill is: the federal government grants a certain amount of land to each state, and each state must use the funds obtained from the sale of the whole land as capital to establish specialized colleges that mainly teach agricultural and mechanical manufacturing technology.

In order to meet the requirements of civilian children to receive higher education, cultivate technical talents for the industry, and then promote the development of American economy. The promulgation of this bill has promoted the great development of American higher education and further promoted the great leap forward of American industrial and agricultural production. This is of great reference significance to the ongoing reform of higher education in China.