How did efforts to produce a system of universal public education reflect the spirit of the age?

The efforts to produce a system of universal public education reflect the spirit of the age is because of the reasons like the lack of educational facilities for many students, the lack of money to fund educational costs for 'public' students as opposed to those who could pay for private schooling, etc. It became a necessary thing to develop and to consider it.

They had more africans americans than any other state