History and Development of Settler Colonial Mathematics From 1819 to Pre-Sputnik

• In Event: Truth Is the Through Line: Epistemic Archaeology in Curriculum Theory

Abstract

This paper introduces Settler Colonial Mathematics (SCM) as a federal project starting in 1819, by tracing SCM’s development from the Civilization Act to the pre-Sputnik era. Using primary and secondary sources from the history of mathematics education and the histories of settler colonialism and anti-black racism, this paper answers the question “What is the historical relationships between the US federal government’s mathematics education policies, systemic racism, and Black, White, and American Indian communities’ racialized experiences with mathematics education from 1820 to 1941?”. In doing so, this paper presents four time-periods, that is, 1820 to 1850, 1850 to 1890, and 1890 to 1941 to collectively relate mathematics education to the development of the US as a settler colony with imperial holdings.

Author

• Paul E Madden, Connecticut College