Prudence Crandall (1803-1890), a Quaker abolitionist and teacher, bravely stood apart from 19th-century societal norms and confronted racism when she opened one of the first schools for African-American girls in Connecticut in 1833. For those of you tuning in for the first time, welcome! Here’s the deal: Every weekday, we highlight the stories of iconic women in history you may not know about, but definitely should. We’re talking about women from around the world and throughout history. Each month is themed. This month we’re going back to school, highlighting educators and intellectuals.
This month, we're going back to school with stories of the most influential women educators in history.
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Hello! From Wonder Media Network I’m Jenny Kaplan, and this is Womanica.
Happy Rosh Hashanah to all those celebrating!
Our story today takes us back to the mid-1800s in Canterbury, Connecticut where one woman braved legal and social harassment to open one of the first schools for Black girls.
Let’s talk about Prudence Crandall.
Prudence was born on September 3, 1803 in Rhode Island. Both of her parents, Pardon and Esther, were farmers. At a young age, Prudence’s family relocated to Canterbury, Connecticut.
In Canterbury, Prudence studied arithmetic, latin and science -- topics not normally taught to girls at the time. But Prudence’s family were Quakers, who believed in equal opportunity in education.
In 1831, Prudence opened her own private school for girls, The Canterbury Female Boarding School.
The school served the wealthiest Canterbury families and was a source of great pride in the community. It was ranked as one of the best schools in Connecticut with a curriculum that rivaled even the most elite all-boys schools.
But Prudence’s school was not entirely equal. All of her students were white. To encourage Prudence to take a more progressive stance, Prudence’s Black housekeeper, Marcia Davis, began strategically leaving copies of the abolitionist newspaper, The Liberator, in places where she knew Prudence would find them. The Liberator promoted the need for immediate abolition, as opposed to a gradual abolition that was more commonly supported by the New England elite.
Sarah Harris, who came from a prominent Black family in the area, was the first to approach Prudence about integrating the school. Sarah wanted to continue her education so that she could in turn become a teacher for other Black children. In 1832, Prudence enrolled Sarah in the Canterbury Boarding School.
The decision was met with outrage. White parents demanded Prudence expel Sarah. When she refused, they withdrew their daughters from the school. Realizing that she’d need to find new sources of tuition, Prudence went to speak with William Lloyd Garrison, the outspoken white abolitionist and publisher of The Liberator.
Prudence and William discussed the possibility of converting the Canterbury school into a school entirely for Black girls. William connected Prudence with many of the most prominent Black families in New England and in 1833, the school reopened with a new mission: to educate “young ladies and little misses of color.” The class consisted of 24 students and the curriculum remained identical to that of the original Canterbury school.
Again, the community lashed out. Prudence and her students became the subjects of incessant attacks. They were refused service at shops and restaurants. Locals threw stones and eggs at the school house. One group even tried to set it on fire.
Later that year, in 1833, the Connecticut General Assembly enacted the Black Law. The Black Law made it illegal for Black people from outside the state to be educated in the state of Connecticut without the town’s explicit consent.
Prudence was undeterred. She believed the law to be unconstitutional and continued teaching. As a result, she was arrested on June 27, 1833 and spent one night in jail.
Prudence was found guilty of violating the Black Law a few months later. The Judge in the case asserted that Black people were not citizens and therefore were not entitled to pursue an education. In July of 1834, Prudence appealed the decision to the Connecticut Supreme Court and won...but only on a technicality. The court did not recognize or side with the moral argument she was making.
That fall, an angry mob broke into the school. Wielding iron bars and clubs, the mob smashed windows, ransacked the building and threatened the students. Fearing for their safety, Prudence officially closed the school on September 10, 1834.
Following the attack, Prudence faded out of the public eye. She married a Baptist minister and fellow abolitionist in 1835 and the two moved to Illinois. There, Prudence opened another school and became involved in the women’s suffrage movement.
She remained close to her student Sarah Harris, who became an abolitionist and conductor on the Underground Railroad. Five of the other Black girls that Prudence taught went on to become teachers in their communities.
After Prudence’s husband died in 1874, she relocated to Elk Falls, Kansas to live with her brother. In Kansas, she opened another school that served Indigenous students.
Although Connecticut’s Black Law was repealed in 1838 - only four years after the riots at the Canterbury School - Prudence did not receive an apology until nearly 50 years later. In 1886, under pressure from Mark Twain to right the state’s injustice, the Connecticut state legislature offered Prudence a small pension as repayment for her mistreatment.
Prudence Crandall died in Elk Falls, Kansas in 1890. She was 87 years old.
All month, we’re talking about women who changed the world of education.
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Special thanks to Liz Kaplan, my favorite sister and co-creator.
Talk to you tomorrow!