| Education During The Slave Period |
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| history of slavery in the united states | |
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It was difficult for Black people to be educated during the antebellum period in the Southern United States. There was no formal education for slaves, but they sometimes attained education through their families, churches, their own efforts and from the work they were required to perform as slaves. Frequently, the goal of the education of slaves was for their masters to obtain more wealth from the slaves. Thus, the slaves were given education or training for their work on plantation, and were also trained in carpentry, masonry, blacksmithing, and other trades by their masters. Religion was another source of education. Some slave masters were motivated by Christian beliefs to provide religious education to their slaves. They also thought that such instruction made the slaves more obedient and hardworking. Thus, some slaves were taught to read the bible. Slaves also learned from their family members and fellow slaves. In families, this was often done by passing on stories which sometimes encouraged hatred towards the slave masters. They also used music to expressed their opinions. Even during the slave period, some free Blacks in the North had opportunities for schooling. A good example is the New York’s African Free School, which was started in 1787 by a manumission society. In the North, Prudence Crandall started a school for Black girls in Canterbury, Connecticut. However, in 1834, the state of Connecticut passed a law that prevented Black students from obtaining free education. Educated slaves were a potential danger to slavery, with many educated slaves participating in rebellions. This may have caused a change in the policy of education for slaves: many states in the South passed laws forbidding their education. REFERENCES:
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