Table of Contents
Why did slaveholders refuse to educate their slaves?
Most White Southern slaveholders were adamantly opposed to the education of their slaves because they feared an educated slave population would threaten their authority. Slaves who attempted to educate themselves, if caught, suffered physical and psychological consequences.
What happened to slaves who tried to read?
In most southern states, anyone caught teaching a slave to read would be fined, imprisoned, or whipped. The slaves themselves often suffered severe punishment for the crime of literacy, from savage beatings to the amputation of fingers and toes.
When did it become illegal to teach slaves to read?
1831
States fighting to hold on to slavery began tightening literacy laws in the early 1830s. In April 1831, Virginia declared that any meetings to teach free African Americans to read or write was illegal. New codes also outlawed teaching enslaved people.
Why was literacy important for slaves?
Enslaved people had many reasons to desire to read and to write. A literate slave could forge passes or free papers and these could aid a slave to escape. In fact, enslaved people forged free papers so frequently that free blacks with bona fide legal documents were often suspected of forging them. after Emancipation.
How did slaves learn to read?
Many slaves did learn to read through Christian instruction, but only those whose owners allowed them to attend. Some slave owners would only encourage literacy for slaves because they needed someone to run errands for them and other small reasons.
How did some slaves including Douglass himself learned to read?
Frederick Douglass learned to read through the initial kindness of Mrs. Auld, who taught him the alphabet and how to form short words. Using bread as payment, Douglass employed little white boys in the city streets to secretly continue his instruction and help him become truly literate.
What is the relationship between literacy knowing to read and power?
The ability to seek out and understand information gives us all independence to make choices, to advocate for ourselves and to learn about our community and world. People who can read and write are powerful in society and studies show that literacy leads to greater self-reliance and civic engagement.