NEA's Story

Answering the Call

Since it began in 1857, the National Education Association has been ahead of its time, crusading for the rights of all educators and the children whose lives they touch. Learn more about NEA's rich history, from welcoming Black members—four years before the Civil War—and electing a woman as president a full decade before Congress granted women the right to vote, to the 1966 merger with the American Teachers Association during the height of the Civil Rights Movement.

Read our four-part NEA Today series, "Answering the Call: A History of the National Education Association." It honors the legacy and impact of public education and educators in America.

Part 1: The Birth of NEA (1857-1865)

In 1857, 43 educators gathered in Philadelphia, answering a national call to unite as one voice in the cause of public education. At the time, learning to read and write was a luxury for most children—and for many children of color, it was actually a crime. Read story.

Part 2: NEA after the Civil War through the Turn of the Century (1865-1910)

A young Association struggled to rebuild public education during Reconstruction, ban child labor, and improve working conditions for educators.  Read story.

Part 3: NEA in the 20th Century (1900-1960)

First NEA Headquarters Winona, Minnesota, 1907

Despite low wages, overcrowded classrooms, the hardships of the Great Depression, and segregation, NEA members prevailed to advance the cause of public education.  Read story.

Part 4: The Legacy of the NEA-ATA Merger (1960-1970)

After years of intense negotiation, two great education organizations—the National Education Association and the American Teachers Association—merged into a single dynamic entity. The merger benefitted not only Black teachers and students, but other groups, including women.   Read story.

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