Profile America: First College Protest

FIRST COLLEGE PROTEST

Profile AmericaTuesday, January 12 — Protests by college students in America have a long pedigree. In fact, this year marks the 250th anniversary of the first such action. In 1766, there were just seven colleges in Colonial America.  The students at Harvard—the first college– were unhappy with on-campus dining, specifically, the rancid butter. The so-called Butter Rebellion began with the cry “Behold, our butter stinketh!”  About half the student body supported the complaint, and they found safe spaces for dining in nearby taverns. The administration soon yielded and replaced the offending spread. Across the country today, there are 4,700 degree-granting institutions. Nearly 3,000 of them are four-year universities. Around 19.5 million students are enrolled in those colleges, which presumably stock acceptable butter.

Sources: Kane’s Famous First Facts

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