The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1894-01-15
CLANDEsTINE SCHOOLS.
How the Negroes Were Taught in the
south Before the War.

Bulletin Of Atlanta University.
Perhaps 1t may be well to call attention
10 ana explain the astonishing fact that
or; rather, for that early period so many,
colored men and women capable of begin
nlng the school work even at the a G
point This was due to many Influences,
open ana secret Among the favoring influ-
ences, first was the fact that many hui
name masters taught their slaves, and 9TH
ers winked at the violation OF the law
which forbade the teaching of slaves and
permitted their children TO instruct a favor
lie slave to read and sometimes TO write.
Men now high in authority in educational
matters taught their slaves TO read and
write, rendering themselves liable to be
statute book. The Christian instruction
OF the slaves was encouraged and directed
by many Christian bodies. Indeed, in the
act permitting the introduction Of slaves
Christian training was enjoined upon the
slave masters. The Rev. G. G. Jones, father
of the late historian JONES' and the Rev.
tnguished ministers of the State, were en-
gagged to devote their time to this work.
Again, 1t is known that when negro Sla-
very at first prohibited, was finally intro
duced into Georgia, in 1f49, many of these
slaves came from South Carolina As in
1744 a negro school was opened in Charles
ton, it may be inferred that some of these
slaves must have brought with them TO
Georgia some knowledge of reading and
writing. The Charleston school was still in
a nourishing condition in 1752, and was
taught by an educated negro, likely from
only, many slaves, who even then hired
their time, sent their children to this school.
In time other schools were opened, and
number of colored persons from Savannah
and Augusta, Ga, sent their children to
Charleston to be taught.
According to tradition some of these stu
dents returned and opened shoots in Sa-
Vannah and in Augusta No one, however,
lawfully permitted to give book in
struction to slaves, not even in any one
of the three Rs. Whatever was done in
this way was done clandestinely. and il
discovered, was sure to get it's author into
trouble. There were, nevertheless, several
in Savannah Another class of teachers
were the poor whites, who eked out q mis-
negroes and slaves Some of them might
we'll be denOminated, not "old field
schools" but 'old chip Schools" When
some aged, impecunious white lady would
agree to teach the children of such slaves
as had hired their time the children were
said to go to her house to pick up chips
They were buSily engaged in this work
when an officer was likely to be around.
The most noted of these clandestine
SCHOOLS Tor colored children was taught by
a colored man in Savannah. 1t was opened
in 1913 or 1919 by a cOlored Frenchman
named Julian Froumontaine from San Do
mingo. Up to 1929 this school was taught
openly, for before that date the laws of
Georgia did not forbid the teaching of
free person of color: In referring to this
prohibitory law, in justice it ought to be
admitted that the requirements Of the Gin
stitutions of slavery were such that 1T
would have been unwiSe to undertake TO
maintain the system of slavery and run
the risk of having the slaves read such lit
erature as began then to be circulated by
the abolitionistS. II is proper also, TO add
that many Shareholders did not share this
fear, and were willing, in the face of slav-
cry, to give their slaves elementary teach
ing in reading and writing.
After Dec D. 1929, it was made a penal
offenSe to teach a negro or free person of
color to read or write. Hence from that
time all negro schools were candestine
FrOumOntalne'S school, however,
under him for more than fifteen years. 1t
laid the foundation of the educa tional work
among the colored people of Georgia Sew
eral of his pupils clandestinely taught
school to the beginning of the war.