Prudence+Crandall+-+F08



Prudence Crandall

As a young girl I attended Friends' Boarding School, therefore education has always been high on my priorities. So it was no surprise to me when the counsel of Canterbury, Conneticut fully supported my decision to start the Crandall Academy for young lady's. With my passion to teach and my Quaker ways, i could not turn down my first African American student. Other attendees at the school did not appreciate this decision of mine. So it was no wonder when the community revolted and attacked my home and institution.

A year later the Black Law was passed. This made it illegal for me to teach the colored people in my community, naturally i stuck up for what i believed in and resumed to teaching those who were willing to learn. I was caught and placed into prison for a night, then sent to trial a total of three times. However about a month or so later the case was dropped.

In the process members of the community made the decision to attack my home and institution. Regretably, my ultimate decision was to close the school and continue teaching to those willing to learn in the west until my death. Never letting go of my abolition-and-free-education-for-all views.

Refernces: My first refernce is Catherine Beecher, a well educated friend of mine that also runs an academy (Hartford Female Seminary). We relied upon each other for support when harrasment was strong. I was very familiar with her teachings as she is with mine.

Before the Black Law when i was in search of more young black girls to attend my school, i went to //The Liberator// (a Boston abolitionist newspaper) where i met William Lloyd Garrison. He helped me get the owrd out concerning our cause and the need of young girls who wanted an education. He also helped me contribute to the publicity to the issue, which in effect helped get the ball rolling for the Civil War.

http://crm.cr.nps.gov/archive/20-3/20-3-17.pdf

http://amistad.mysticseaport.org/forum/links/others/prudence.crandall.html