The question has two parts: who is commonly credited with initiating the modern school system, and how did that person die. Direct answer:

• Most historians credit Horace Mann (1796–1859) as a central figure in the development of the American public school system and often call him the “Father of the Common School Movement,” though schooling itself has much deeper and older roots across civilizations.

• Horace Mann died on August 2, 1859, in Yellow Springs, Ohio.

Notes and context:

• The idea of schools predates Mann by millennia, with formal education systems existing in ancient civilizations and evolving through various reformers and educators. Mann’s significance lies in professionalizing teaching, expanding public schooling, and advocating universal access in the United States during the 19th century.

• There are other important figures in the broader history of education (such as Comenius) who contributed foundational ideas about universal education and classroom design, but they are often discussed separately from the specific emergence of modern public schooling in the U.S. context.