The morning call., 1894-02-18
CLANDEsTINE SCHOOLS.
How the Negroes Were Taught in the
South Before the War. :. ::
5ufletifi of Atlanta University

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Perhaps it may be we'll 10 call attention; to
aud explain tie astonishing fact that after the
war theirs could pc found few, or, rather for
that early. period, so many eolored men and
women capable OF beginning the school:Work
even at the A. B z point. IS;
This was due TO many influences, open. and
secret. Among the favOring influences, first,
was the fact that many humane masters taught
theit slaves, and others winked at the violation
of the law which forbade he teaching OF slaves
and permitted their children 10 Instruct a
favorite 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 punished as
VloiatoFs of the law on the statute-book. The
Christian Instruction OF the slaves was en-
couIaged aud directed by many Christian
bodies. Indeed, in The act permitting the IN
llouucilon OF slaves Christian training was en-
Joined upon the slave masters. The Rev. G. G..
zones, tather OF the late historian Jones, ana
thr late JosishL ", both among the most dis
unSulshec ministers Of the State, were engaged
To devote their time 10 this work.
AGAIN, II is known that when negro slavery.
a. nrst prohibited. was finally introduced into
Georgia in 1749 mauy of these slaves came
from South Carolina. AS in 1744 a negro
school WIS opened in Charleston, 1t may be
ihlefreu that some OF these slaves must have
brought with them 10 Georgia some knowledge
OF reading and writing. be Charleston
scnool was still in 1onrishing condition in
ll0Z, and was Taught by an educated negro,
likely nom England. Although IL was for free
negroes only, many slaves who even Then hired
their time, sent their children TO this school.
In time other schools were 0pened and a num-
Der OF coOred persons from Savannah and
Augusta, Ga, sent their children To Charleston
TO be taught. 80: -: -
According TO tradition some of these students
returned and opened schools IN Savannah and
in Augusta. No one, however. was lawfully
permitted TO give book instruction 10 slaves
not even in any one of the three RS. Whatever.
was done in this way was done candestinely
and, ii discovered, was sure TO get the author
into trouble. There were. nevertheless, several
schools kept clandesrinely in Augusta and Sa.:
vaunah. Another class of teachers were tile
poor whites, who eked out miserable 'fiviHl,
by clandeStlDely teaching free negroes and
slaves. Some or them might well be- dehonii-
mated. not "od field schools but '"od chip:
schools" When some aged, impecunious white
sucn slaves as had hired their time, the chill.
dren were said to go to her house TO .pick up
chips" They were busily engaged IN this:WofK
when an officer was likely TO be around. -:
The most noted of these caudestine schools
for coored children was taught by colored.
man in Savannah. 1t was opened In 1918 or
1919 by a colored tTenchman named Julian
Froumontaine from San Domingo. Up TO 1920
this school was taught openly, for before Ihas
date the laws OF Georgia did not forbid the
teaching OF free person OF color. In referring
to this prOhibiiory law, IN justice 1t ought to be
admitted That the requirements OF the "lnSti-
tutions of slavery" were such that i would
have been unwise TO undertake to maintain
the system OF slavery aud run the risk 0I nav
ing the slaves read such literature as began
then to be circulated by he abotiOnists. 1t
is proper. also, TO add that many shareholders
did not share this fear, and were willing, in the
face Of slavery, 10 give their slaves elementary
teaching In reading aud writing.
Alter December %, 1929, it was made a
penal ofense TO teach a negro or FREE person Of;
color 10 red or write. Hencr from that time
all negro schools were caudestme. FroumoIi-
tane's school, however, fourshed under him
for more than fifteen years 1t laid The founda-
ton OF the educational work among the coiOred
people of Georgia Seyera OF his pupils CLANS:
destiDely taught school TO the begiHning OF the
war.