Unit
Years: 1830-1850
Freedom & Equal Rights
Historical Events, Movements, and Figures
A community of free African American people had begun to grow and flourish in Boston in the early 1800s, fueled by Massachusetts’ abolition of slavery in 1783. At the same time, the early to mid-1800s brought with it many efforts to improve life for all Americans, including efforts to provide free public schools, known as the Common School Movement. Led by Horace Mann, secretary of the newly founded Massachusetts Board of Education, the focus was on ensuring ethical and democratic participation in society.
African Americans, free and enslaved, had long recognized that literacy, freedom and equality were closely tied together. The Common School movement in Massachusetts now raised their hopes for educational opportunity. Free Black people knew, and began to argue, that as tax paying citizens, it was the right of their children to access quality public education.
By 1840, Boston had a thriving public school system. The Boston School District operated a two-tiered system of schooling that placed White students in neighborhood schools across the city and Black students in one school–the Abiel Smith School. Though this school had begun with private funding, the Abiel Smith School was officially established in 1835 as the first public school for Black children in the country.
However, by the 1840s, many questions about the quality of education provided to children at the Smith School were raised by parents. Often, schools with better outcomes and resources were closer to where a Black family lived, but their children were categorically excluded based on race. In 1848, recognizing the inequality at play, an African American writer and printer, Benjamin Franklin Roberts, chose to challenge this barrier. He attempted multiple times to enroll his daughter Sarah in one of the White neighborhood schools which were closer to their home.
Each time, the school committee rejected his requests and assigned his daughter to the Smith School. Frustrated with the injustice of having to watch his children travel across the city to attend a lower-quality school, Roberts filed a lawsuit against the city of Boston. The case of Sarah Roberts vs. the City of Boston cited that this policy of segregation violated the Massachusetts Constitution.
Judge Lemuel Shaw of the Massachusetts Supreme Court, disagreed with the Roberts family. He sided with the Boston school committee, asserting that no law had been broken because Black students did have access to public education, the city was simply providing a separate environment for their access. This ruling set the precedent for the “separate, but equal” argument upholding racial segregation in countless cases for the next 100 years following the Roberts v. City of Boston ruling.
Going forward, the Black community and abolitionist allies continued to agitate for educational equality, but with a more limited set of strategies available. It was not until the US Supreme Court’s decision in Brown v. Board of Education (1954) that the legal underpinnings of racial segregation began to unravel, opening a legal path toward educational equality.
Anti-Slavery Almanacs
According to the American Antiquarian Society, almanacs dating from as early as 1656 were abundant and essential pieces of literature in colonial households. When books were a luxury, almanacs provided information for farmers and navigators as well as advice for living. Today the one that is best-known is Benjamin Franklin’s Poor Richard’s Almanac. Less familiar is the work of Benjamin Banneker, a free man of color. Banneker, a resident of Maryland, published and sold his annual almanac from 1792-1797. His work contradicted widespread opinion of the time that Africans were intellectually inferior to whites.
During the 19th century abolitionists published antislavery almanacs to inform Americans about the horrors of slavery. Almanacs typically included thirteen woodcuts, one for each month and the cover. Each image informed readers about the experiences of enslaved people as well as the dangers and discrimination that free people of color faced. The woodcut, featured in this lesson, focused its attention on incidents of educational discrimination against black children; the caption below the image revealed the almanac’s anti-colonizationist stance (an opposition to African resettlement that was widespread though not universal in the African American community in this period).
A publication containing weather forecasts, astronomical information, tide tables, and other miscellaneous data, often published annually.
A person who provides financial or other assistance to support a cause, organization, or individual.
A coordinated refusal to buy, use, or participate in something as a form of protest or pressure, often to achieve social, political, or economic goals.
A person who works to effect positive social change and improve the lives of others.
The active involvement of citizens in the democratic process, including voting, political engagement, and participation in public affairs and decision-making.
Characterized by the inclusion or incorporation of diverse or different elements, groups, or individuals into a unified whole, often used to describe processes or systems that promote equality, diversity, and cooperation among people of different backgrounds or identities.
A formal written request or appeal addressed to a person or authority, often signed by multiple individuals or groups, and seeking action, redress, or relief on a particular issue, grievance, or concern, typically submitted with supporting evidence, arguments, or proposals, and used as a means of initiating legal proceedings, influencing policy decisions, or obtaining official responses.
Individuals or groups who submit a petition, formal written request, or appeal to a person or authority, often seeking action, redress, or relief on a particular issue, grievance, or concern, and typically signed by multiple individuals or representatives, and accompanied by supporting evidence, arguments, or proposals. Petitioners may include plaintiffs in legal cases, citizens lobbying for legislative changes, or activists advocating for social reforms.
A party initiating a legal action or lawsuit in a court of law, typically seeking redress, damages, or enforcement of rights or obligations against another party known as the defendant, and responsible for presenting evidence, arguments, and claims in support of their case, under the guidance of legal counsel or representation. Plaintiffs may include individuals, organizations, or entities alleging harm, injury, or violation of legal rights.
A legal principle, rule, or decision established by a court or authoritative body in a previous case or legal proceeding, and serving as a model or guide for subsequent cases with similar facts or issues, based on the principle of stare decisis, or the doctrine of following precedent. Precedents provide a basis for consistency, predictability, and fairness in the application of law, and help ensure uniformity and coherence in the legal system.
Segregated refers to the enforced separation of different racial, ethnic, or religious groups, typically in public facilities, schools, housing, and transportation, as was common during the era of racial segregation in the United States.
A statue is a sculpture, typically representing a person, animal, or abstract form, created to commemorate an individual, event, or concept. Statues are often placed in public spaces as monuments or memorials.
In legal terms, a suit refers to a civil action or lawsuit brought before a court of law to resolve a dispute or claim between parties, typically seeking damages, compensation, or other legal remedies for perceived injuries or violations.