, Columnist
How Summer Vacation Took Hold in the U.S.
A preacher's bestselling book convinced the emerging middle class to escape the cities. Horace Mann finished the job.
A nationwide splash.
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Planning a trip to the beach, a lake, or some other spot in the great outdoors in the next month or so? Please take a few moments to thank a small but influential group of reformers, idealists, and busybodies who created an enduring American institution: the summer vacation.
Prior to the late 19th century, few Americans took breaks from work. The ethic of hard work and deferred gratification popular among the Puritans -- never mind the simple fact that few people could afford to get away from tending farms -- limited leisure.