D. New England is where free public schools were first established in the United States. In the early 17th century, the Massachusetts Bay Colony passed a law requiring every town with at least 50 families to hire a teacher to instruct their children in reading and writing. This law laid the foundation for public education in New England and served as a model for other colonies and states in the years to come. By the mid-19th century, free public education had become widespread throughout the United States.