Butin1851，withtheInternationalExhibitionatLondon，beganinGreatBritainandAmericaamovementinfavourofscientificeducation；menofwealthandpublicspiritbeganmakingcontributionstothem，andthuscamethegrowthofanewsystemofinstructioninwhichChemistryandPhysicstookjustrank。
ByfarthemostmarkedfeatureinthismovementwasseeninAmerica，when，in1857，JustinS。Morrill，ayoungmemberofCongressfromVermont，presentedtheprojectofalawendowingfromthepubliclandsabroadnationalsystemofcollegesinwhichscientificandtechnicalstudiesshouldbeplacedonanequalitywithstudiesinclassicalliterature，onesuchcollegetobeestablishedineveryStateoftheUnion。Thebill，thoughopposedmainlybyrepresentativesfromtheSouthernStates，wheredoctrinairepoliticsandorthodoxtheologywereinstrongalliancewithnegroslavery，waspassedbybothHousesofCongress，butvetoedbyPresidentBuchanan，inwhomthedoctrinaireandorthodoxspiritwasincarnate。ButMorrillpersistedandagainpresentedhisbill，whichwasagaincarriedinspiteoftheoppositionoftheSouthernmembers，andagainvetoedin1859byPresidentBuchanan。Thencamethecivilwar；
butMorrillandhisassociatesdidnotdespairoftherepublic。
InthemidstofallthemeasuresforputtingvastarmiesintothefieldandforsavingtheUnionfromforeigninterferenceaswellasfromdomesticanarchy，theyagainpassedthebill，andin1862，inthedarkesthourofthestrugglefornationalexistence，itbecamealawbythesignatureofPresidentLincoln。
Andhereitshouldnotbeunrecorded，that，whilethevastmajorityofthesupportersofthemeasurewerelaymen，mostefficientservicewasrenderedbyaclergyman，theRev。Dr。