Figure 1.--This portrait is undated, but we would estimate it was taken in the late 1860s or early-70s. There is no way to be sure, but we believe that they are brothers attending the same military school. |
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We have noted quite a few boys in the late 19th century wearing military school uniforms. We know very little about the schools. We are not entirely sure if they were day or boarding schools. Nor are we sure why military schools became so common in America. This was not the case either in Britain or continental Europe. The basic Civil War style uniform was adopted at military schools throughout the United States. The portraits we have seen show blue uniforms. There may have been some grey uniforms, but perhaps not immediately after the War. Of course West Point had grey uniforms. But most military schools had uniforms similar to actual U.S. Army uniforms as they were blue. The Civil War styled uniforms continued for some time at American military schools. After the War some schools adopted kneepants uniforms. We are not sure when this occurred, but believe it was well after the War, perhaps in the 1880s. This varied widely from school to school. We still see Civil War style uniforms being worn into the 1880s. We see some schools updating their uniforms in the 1890s. Basically they were following changes in U.S. Army uniforms. We do notice some more varied uniforms, but we are not entirely sure they were school uniforms. They seem rather elaborate, however, for play uniforms.
We have noted quite a few boys in the late 19th century wearing military school uniforms. Nor are we sure why military schools became so common in America. This was not the case either in Britain or continental Europe where military schools were the exception rather than a common type of privare school as in the United States. As far as we can tell, quite a few of the private boarding schools were military schools.
We know very little about the schools other than there were quite a number of them. We are not entirely sure if they were day or boarding schools. We think they may have been both, but that boarding schools had become more common by the end of the decade. We note some schools at mid-century where the boys wore uniforms, but the school was not rally a military school. This appears to have become less common after the Civil War.
The basic Civil War style uniform was adopted at military schools throughout the United States. The portraits we have seen show blue uniforms. There may have been some grey uniforms, but perhaps not immediately after the War. Of course West Point had grey uniforms. But most military schools had uniforms similar to actual U.S. Army uniforms as they were blue. The Civil War styled uniforms continued for some time at American military schools. After the War some schools adopted kneepants uniforms. We are not sure when this occurred, but believe it was well after the War, perhaps in the 1880s. This varied widely from school to school. We still see Civil War style uniforms being worn into the 1880s. We see some schools updating their uniforms in the 1890s. Basically they were following changes in U.S. Army uniforms. We do notice some more varied uniforms, but we are not entirely sure they were school uniforms. They seem rather elaborate, however, for play uniforms.
Related Military School Pages in the Boys' Historical Web Site
[Return to the Main U.S. military school uniform chronology page]
[Return to the Main military school page]
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