Which colony is credited with the establishment of the first public school system in America?

The colony credited with the establishment of the first public school system in America is Massachusetts. In 1647, the Massachusetts Bay Colony enacted the Old Deluder Satan Act, which mandated that towns with a certain number of households must establish a public school. This law was significant because it aimed to ensure that children could read and understand the scriptures, as well as promote literacy among the population. This early initiative laid the groundwork for public education in the United States, emphasizing the importance of education and literacy in a democratic society.

Other options represent important colonies in terms of their own educational developments, but none established a public school system as early or as formally as Massachusetts did. Virginia had early schools but did not create a system comparable to Massachusetts' public school initiative until much later. Pennsylvania and New York also contributed to the landscape of education but did not forge the foundational public school framework that Massachusetts did with the Old Deluder Satan Act.