本主題在討論美國自建國開始至一八三○年為止，此一過渡時期之教育發展，以便明瞭美國教育制度的傳統。共分八章。
第一章乃闡明著作之動機、目的、研究方法與資料搜集經過。本研究採用歷史文件分析法，由於主題之限制，敍述多於創見。第二章討論當時之時代背景，從人口的分佈，人民生活的特質和各種社會改革運動，來看生存在聯邦初期的人民是如何去解決生活問題。第三章探討立憲政體與人民權益，此章意在追究人民享有的權力範圍，以便明瞭政府組織之功能，與人民如何運用這些權利來敦促政府之行政。第四章分析宗教與教育之關係。美國殖民者大多是歐陸地區為逃避宗教，或政治迫害的人民，他們帶著自己的信仰，或改變自己的信仰，並且將信仰的功能與教育結合。本章主要內容乃在分析政府與教會之間的關係，以及宗教所影響於教育的範圍。第五章是分別就聯邦和各州在教育上的活動，或法律來探討政府行政機構，對教育的關懷與努力。第六章自初等教育，中等教育，與高等教育之類別、教材、教學法、經費等項目來看整個教育制度之發展。第七章，本章所受限制最大，蓋聯邦成立初期對教育有影響之人物極多，限於能力與時間不能一一列敍，只擧華盛頓與傑弗遜兩位總統為例，以窺行政首長對教育之熱誠，至於各州州長的貢獻則散見於四、五、六三章之中。第八章乃本主題之結論。如前所提，此項結論中綜合的見解較多，獨創者稀；乃從上述各章的內容再探討政治、宗教、與教育之間的關係。
本主題題目範圍極廣，漏失者自然亦多，尚祈諸先進不吝指出錯處，筆者當再接再勵，力求改進。

一、中文書籍
北南、文辛著：美國，九龍：福星機製信封印刷公司印。
丹萊西著，王善堯譯：美國革命的意義，香港：今日世界社，民國五九年八月初版。
卡曼、施里特著，龍倦飛譯：「美國全史」，第一册。台北：商務印書館，民國六一年五月二版。
丘漢平：美國民主政治新論，三民主義叢書，台北：中央文物供應社，民國四二年八月版。
克柏萊著、楊亮功譯：西洋教育史，上、下册，台北：協志出版社，民國五九年二月三版。
余堅著：美國民主政治，台北：中央書局，民國四二年十月三一日初版，民國四三年二月一日再版。
法蘭西斯惠特尼著、余明廷譯：美國簡史，台北：今日世界出版社，民國五四年四月初版。
姚榮齡著：美國的議會，台北：海天出版社，民國四七年十一月版。
格萊伍德著、麥正譯：美國簡史。香港：今日世界出版社，一九七二年五月初版。
格萊伍德著、美國新聞處編譯：美國簡史，新加坡：今日世界出版社，一九七六年八月新一版。
倪文夙、甘邁格著、林牧野譯：美國史綱，香港：今日世界社，民國四七年九月初版。納文斯、康瑪格著：美國通史，儲祥發行，台北：台灣東方書店，民國四六年九月初版。
孫邦正著：美國教育，台北：商務印書館，民國六○年三月二版。
張金鑑著：美國政府，台北：三民書局。
傳洛根著、李誥譯：美國的本質，台北：今日世界出版社，民國五四年三月初版。
葛雷夫著、吳康譯：近代教育史，台北：商務印書館，民國五四年九月，台一版。
黎斯納著、陳明志等譯：近代西洋教育發達史，王雲五主編，人人文庫特一一五，台北：商務印書館，民國六○年三月台一版。

二、西文書籍
Adames, Herbert Baxter, The College of William and Mary, Washington: 1887.
Alexander, William M. and Saylor J, Galen, Modern Secondary Education, New York:
Holt, Rinehart and Winston Inc., 1959.
Arrowood, Charles Flinm, Thomas Jefferson and Education in A Republic. New York: McGraw-Hill Book Company Inc., New York, 1930.
Bamford, Henry Parkes, The United States of America, A History., New York: Afred, A. Knoph Inc., second ed. Revised.
Beck, W. H., Lutheran Elementary Schools in the United States. St. Louis :Concordia Publishing House, 1938.
Brock, W. R., The Character of American History, London: Macmilland Co. L.T.D. New York: St. Martin’s Press, 1960.
Brubacher, Johns and Willis Rudy, Higher Education in Transition, New York: Harper and Row, Publisher, 1968;
Burns, James A. and Kohlbrenner, Bernard J., A History of Catyolic Education in the United States, New York : Benzigen Brothers, 1937
Butts, Freeman R., The American Fradition in Religrion and Education, Boston: Beacon Press, 1950.
Butts, Freeman R., and Cremin, Lawrence A., A History of Education in American Culture. New
York: Holt, Rinhart and Winston Inc., 1961.
Buton, William H., Introduction to Education, Applention: Century Croft's Inc., 1934.
Carmichael, Oliver, C., Change in Higher Education, Bulletin of the Association of American College, 1946.
Conant, James B., Thomas Jefferson and The Development of American Public Education, University of California Press, 1963.
Cowie, Alexander, Educational Problems At Yale College in the Eighteenth Century, New York:
Yale University Press, 1936.
Crange, Theodore Rawson, Tje Colleges and The Public 1887-1962., Richmind Virginia: William Byrd Press Inc., 1963.
Cubberley, Ellwood P., Reading in Public Education in United States, Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1934.
Davis, E. Dale, Focus on Secondary Education, Scott Foresman and Company, 1966.
Diffley, E. Jerome, Catholic Reaction to American Public Education 1792-1852, Notre Dame,
INdinan University of Notre Dame, 1959.
Duncan, William , The Elements of Logic , London : W. Otridge, 1800.
Edwards, Newton, The School in American Social Order, Boston: Houghton, Miffin, 1947.
Fisher, Geroge P., Life of Benjamin Silliman, New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1866.
Fit patrick, John C., Writing of George Washington, 1745-1799, Washington D. C., 1939.
French, William Marshall, American Secondary Education, New York : The Odysey Press Inc., 1957.
Frost, J.R., History and Philosophical Foundation of Western Education, Brooklyn College, 1968.
Good, H.G., A History of American Education, sec. ed., New York: Macmillan Company, 1965.
Goode, G. Brown, The Origin of the National Scienfitic and Educational Institutions of the United States, Washington D. C., : Government Printing Office, 1890.
Greene, Franklin, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, N.Y., : Palmer. C. Richetts, 1933.
Green, Loiuis M., The Development of Religious Liberty in Connecticut Boston; Houghton Mifflin Inc., 1950.
Hall, Baynard Rush, The New Purchase or Seven and a Half Years in the Farwest Princeton:
Princeton University, 1918.
Harris, J. Henry, Robert. Raikes, A Man and His Work, London; Bistol, 1899.
Hill, David S., Control of Tax-Supported Higher Education, New York: 1934.
Horsen, Henry Van, Brown University Liberty, Providence, 1938.
Holmes, Pauline, A Tercentenary History of the Boston Public Latin School 1635-1935., Cambridge, Harvard U. Press, 1935.
Honeywell Roy J., The Education Work of Thomas Jefferson, Cambridge: Havard, U. Press 1931.
Janet, Mary, Catholic Secondary Education, Washington: National Catholic Welfare Conference, 1949.
Johnson, Clifton, Old-Time Schools and School-Book. New York: Macmillan, 1904.
Knight Edgar W., and Clifton Hall, Readings in American Educational History, New York: A Applaton Century Crofts, 1951
Kramer, William A,. Christian Education, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House,1954.
Long Orien N., Thomas Jefferson and George Ticknor, Williamstown: Mccelleand Press,1933.
Lu, Hsien, Federal Role in Education, American Press Publishing Inc., 1965.
Meyer, Adolphe E., An Educational History of the American People, McGraw-Hill Book Company,1965
Meyer, Adolphe e., AN History of Western World , MG-Saw -Hill Company, 1967.
Miller, Perry, The New England Mind, New York: The Macmillan Co., 1939.
Monroe, Paul, Cyclopedia of Education, II, New York: The Macmillan Company, 1912.
Monroe, Paul, Founging of the American Public School System, New York: Hafner Publishing Company, 1971.
Monroe, Paul, Principles of Secondary Education, New York: The Macmillan Company,1912.
Morison, Samuel E., The Founding of Harvard College, Cambridge: Havard U. Press,1935.
Morison Samuel E., The Puritan Pronaos, New York: New York U. Press,1936.
Mosien, R.D., Making the American Mind, Social and Moral Ideas in the McGuffey Readers, New York: King’s Crown, 1947.
Pius, Pope XI., Christian Education of Youth, Official and Complete Englishtext, Washington:
D.C.,: National Catholic Welfare Conference, 1930.
Power, Edward J., A History of Catholic Higher Education in the United States, Milwaukee:
Bruce, 1958.
Power, Edward J., Education for American Democracy, sec. ed., McGraw-Hill Book Company. 1965.
Shurtliff, NathANIEL B., Records of the Governor and Company of Massachusetts Bay in New England Vol I, Boston: William White Inc., 1853.
Sweet, William W., The Story of Religion in American, New York: Harper,1950.
Tewksbury, Donald G., The Founding of American Colleges and University Before the Civil War New York: Teacher’s College, Columbia U.,1932.
Trumbull ed., J. Hammond, The Public Records of the Colony of Connecticut, Hartford: Brown and Parrons Inc., 1850.
Thorpe, F. N., The Federal and State Constitutions, Colonial Charters and Other Organic Laws, Washington D.C., : Government Printing Office, 1909.
Tyler, Alice F,. Freedom’s Ferment, Minneapolis: U. of MINNESCTA Press, 1944.
Ulic, Robert, The Education of Nations, Cambridge : Harvard U, Press, 1961.
Waddil, Johnn, Academic Mimorials, Richmond: Presbyterian Committee of Publication,1891.
Welter, Rush, Popular Education and Democratic Thought in America, Columbia U. Press, 1964.
Wertenbker, Thomas J. Princeton, 1746-1896 , Princeton: Princeton U. Press,1946.
Wiggin, Gladys A., Education and Nationalism, McGraw-Hill Book Company,1962.
Woodburn, James A., The History of Indinan University, Bloomington: Indinan U. Press,1940.
Woody, Thomas, History of Woman’s Education in the United States, Lancaster: Science Press, 1929.
Wright, Louis B., The Culture Life of the American Colonies 1607-1763 , New York: Harper, 1957.
Young, Chris A. DE., Introduction to American Public Education, third ed., McGraw-Hill Book Company, 1955.