Why did Horace Mann feel that reforming the American educational system was important? A. it would help people attain better jobs. B. it would help in the fight to end slavery. C. it would help in the fight for gender equality. D. it would help people become better Christians.

Horace Mann believed that reforming the American educational system was important primarily because A. it would help people attain better jobs. He advocated for a publicly funded and non-sectarian education system to provide all children with the knowledge and skills needed to succeed in an increasingly complex industrial society. Mann emphasized that education was essential for social mobility, civic responsibility, and creating an informed and engaged citizenry.