Tuesdays with Tiffany
Reading Arms You
Against Oppression
Reading for Equality
The Stono Rebellion of 1739
Jemmy was a literate slave. He
encouraged 60 slaves to gather weapons
and march against whites in South Carolina.
They killed between 22-25 white people
before the militia found them.
During the battle with the militia, 20
whites and 44 slaves were killed. A group of
slaves escaped and ran for 30 miles before
the militia caught them a week later.
Most of the slaves were executed, but a
few were sold to the West Indies.
South Carolina 1740
After the rebellion, it became illegal to teach
a slave to write so slaves couldn’t communicate
with one another across large distances.
If you were caught teaching a slave to write,
you were fined 100 pounds.
Georgia 1755
Georgia followed South Carolina and
made it illegal to teach a slave to write.
Reading was allowed because it allowed
slaves to become Christian and read
scriptures.
Virginia - 1831
Nat Turner was a literate preacher. He
had learned to read from the scriptures.
He led a revolt of rebel slaves that
killed 55-65 white people. The revolt was
stopped a few days later, but Nat
remained in hiding for several months.
Mississippi - 1831
A law was passed that
required all freed slaves
to leave the state so they
couldn’t start a rebellion
or teach other slaves to
read and write.
The law also required
Black preachers to get
permission before they
could speak to a
congregation.
Punishments
Slaves that were
caught reading or
writing could be
punished in any way
seen fit by the
master. Usually
literate slaves were
whipped.
Teachers
Some people broke the law and
taught slaves at night. John Chavis ran
secret night schools in North Carolina.
Margaret Douglass was caught
teaching black students in Virginia. She
was convicted and put in prison.
Prudence Crandall
In 1833, she opened a school for Black
girls. Townspeople tried to burn the
school. It didn’t work, so they whipped
the girls with ten lashes.
A new law made it illegal to educate
Black students. Prudence was arrested,
but won an appeal.
An angry mob threatened the lives of
Prudence and the students. Worried for
their lives, Prudence closed the school.
Jennie Proctor – A former slave
"None of us was ‘lowed to see a book
or try to learn. They say we git smarter
than they was if we learn anything, but we
slips around and gits hold of that webster’s
blue-back speller and we hides it till’ way in
the night and then we lights a little pine
torch, and studies that spelling book. We
learn it too."
Jim Crow Laws
These laws made segregation legal. Since
Black people were usually illiterate, many states
passed laws saying you couldn’t vote if you were
illiterate. Since some whites were illiterate, the
law had a loophole. If you were allowed to vote
before 1866 or were related to someone who
could vote before 1866, you could vote anyway.
Since slaves weren’t allowed to vote in 1866, this
loophole only helped white people.
Plessy Vs. Ferguson
This court case decided there could be
schools for whites and schools for blacks
because they were equal.
However, this was not the case. In some
southern states, for every $1 spent on a
Black school, $40 were spent on a white
school. South Carolina only had one black
school and Mississippi didn’t have any.
Brown Vs. The Board of Education
In 1954 this case decided segregating
public schools was unconstitutional. All
schools must be desegregated.
Little Rock Nine
Nine Black students were enrolled at
Central High. People who didn’t want
Black students at the school protested.
Gov. Faubus sent in the National Guard
to support the protesters.
The Mayor of Little Rock asked
President Eisenhower to send federal
troops to protect the nine teenagers and
integrate the school.
Violence in School
Although the students were allowed in
the school, they still faced violence from
other students. They were often spit on
and called names. Melba Patillillo had acid
thrown in her eyes.
Where is the Love?