Week 38: The Golden Door of Freedom

One of the issues facing the Freedmen's Bureau was education of a newly freed populace, especially in communities hostile to it. On November 4, 1865, William Coan (writing a personal letter from Augusta County to Samuel Hunt) shared this perspective: "My last to you was from Woodstock since which I have been at New Market and Harrisonburg... Rebellion was deeply seated there and instead of getting better like total depravity seems to wax worse and worse. They do not boldly threaten the lives of those who may undertake to teach a school for colored children but, the more mild and nominally Union who are presumed to speak advisedly say that 'a teacher' could not live a week... I had a meeting of the colored people who are enthusiastic about the school... I have seen no place where Educational influences are more needed and demanded than in this Valley." The letter continues mentioning the "constant cruel and outrageous treatment of the blacks" at the hands of Rebels who have the "determination to make their condition as uncomfortable as possible;" and of a "deadly opposition to their being educated," which was even professed by Christians and ministers.

A personal letter dated 11 January 1866 from W. Storer How in Winchester to Orlando Brown in Richmond, Va, shares: "The detachments stationed at Woodstock and Harrisonburg came in yesterday under orders to be mustered out, and it is the unanimous belief of the officers that an agent of this Bureau cannot remain unmolested in these places if unsupported by the presence of troops. Gen. Ayres has found it necessary to send a guard with the supply wagons, because the drivers were stoned by mobs... I desire again to express my conviction that it is worse than useless to attempt a continuance of the Bureau in this district, without the presence and support of a military force. The Schools might live but I think it very doubtful."

And not just the schools were unwelcomed, but even teachers were at risk in Shenandoah County, Va. A Freedmen's Bureau report dated 30 April 1866 noted "the maltreatment of two Freedmen on the road to Mount Jackson to teach school" (Shenandoah County, Folio 77).

Amidst the local turmoil of providing an education for African Americans, political leaders in the national government could not agree on the type of relief given through the Freedmen's Bureau. The June 1866 Shenandoah Herald reveals the appropriation of funds to the Freedmen's Bureau as passed by the House of Representatives at a little over 11 million dollars. "The Senate however, thought this too much, and struck out and reduced various items, so as to make the aggregate but $6,547,550" (Vol 1, No 38, 28 June 1866, p2). The itemization included: telegraphing, medical department, and stationery and printing completely removed; as well as reductions in clothing, item for commissary stores, transportation, and school houses, the latter of which saw the greatest reduction from $3,000,000 to only $500,000.

Even with nominal funds, local dispositions toward education were not often favorable, especially for African Americans, in our country. A Shenandoah Herald notice To the Public from a citizen in Woodstock, Va, dated 5 November 1866 announces: "From various sources the report has reached me that it was my purpose to teach a school of Freedmen. The report being so utterly groundless, I can but pronounce it the invention of some base, malicious slanderer, designing my injury. The currency of the report is my reason for this public denial. Before the late war I had no sympathy or feeling not in keeping with the peculiar interest of this section; during the war I endeavored to endorse my views by a cheerful and prompt discharge of a soldier's duty; since its close, while acquiescing in the result. I have by no means been convinced - nothing but abject want could induce me to think of schools of any sort. White schools I have refused time and again. Negro schools, under no circumstances, would I teach. Believing the report was originated and circulated for the purpose of injuring me, I have given it this public denial" (Vol 2, No 5, 8 November 1866 p.2).

A personal letter dated 11 February 1867 from Officer Brackett of Staunton, Va, to Chaplain Manley in Richmond, Va, provides a more hopeful perspective of the educational situation: "I have the honor to report that the schools in my district have been in successful operation during the past month. We have opened one new school in Charlestown, W.Va. with two teachers, one at Woodstock, Va. with one, since the beginning of the year 67. I have not yet received a report from Woodstock. Without it, the number of pupils in our day schools, at Staunton, Lexington, Harrisonburg, Front Royal (Va.) and Harpers Ferry, Martinsburg, Charlestown and Shepherdstown (W.Va.) is eight hundred sixty seven, average attendance six hundred thirty six, average attendance at night schools, three hundred thirty one. We have met with no opposition from citizens during the last month, whilst we have urgent application from different places to open more schools both for colored and white children."

On 17 April 1867, Bracket wrote to Chaplain Manley in a personal letter: "we had in operation eleven schools located as follows: at Lexington, three, at Staunton, four, at Harrisonburg, two, at Woodstock, one, at Front Royal, one. Whole number of pupils enrolled in day schools, six hundred seventy one, with an average attendance of five hundred forty four. The night schools averaged two hundred fifty nine. The numbers diminish as the season advances."

Education is exactly what the African Americans in Shenandoah County, Virginia, wanted. A note in the Freedmen's Bureau records dated 24 January 1868 to Captain Hall from New Market reveals this issue had been reported as such: "We the colored citizens of New Market, Va" send a request "from the government for a School. We have a teacher from Washington, Penn., here he has commenced a school numbering now 27 scholars. We open one of our dwelling houses last Tuesday the 21. Next Monday we will have from forty-five to fifty scholars. All the Books we can get here in New Market is McGuffey's Newly revised... primer. We do not house any other books... We will do the best we can our children learn very fast and hope you will help us as soon as you can... Aid us all you can."

Another Freedmen's Bureau notice to Captain Hall from New Market, Va, dated 27 February 1868 states: "We have no school house to teach in. I have been keeping school in a dwelling house and the people is too poor to keep school alone. We are out of Books we need. We want geography and arithmetics..."

As American botanist and educator, George Washington Carver (1864-1943) would write, "Education is the key to unlock the golden door of freedom." Our fellow African American community members recognized this, which is why they wrote to Freedmen's Bureau agents requesting schools and resources. True education, on par with what any American citizen could receive is what they yearned for; not the watered-down version offered in teaching enslaved individuals how to read a Slave Bible (Week 7: The Courage of Christ). 

Education impacts not only the present, but also the future of a people. Education has the potential to break down barriers, to establish empathy and positive connection in a community, to empower people to courageously face and solve challenges together. But, focusing on Shenandoah County, Va's commitment to education after the Civil War, equality and unity are not a part of the conversation for an entire century, as we will see.