Southern White Teachers in North Carolina's Freedmen's Schools During the Reconstruction Era, 1865–1877

• In Event: 33.030 - Case Studies of Educators: Interrogating the Role of the Individual

Abstract

The dominant image of the freedmen’s teacher in historical literature is that of a northern white female. In 2010, Ronald Butchart revealed that southern whites actively engaged in freedmen’s education throughout the American South. However, contemporary studies have not yet addressed the prominence of these teachers in North Carolina. Using the life of Reverend Willis Miller as a case study, this paper develops the profile of southern white teachers in North Carolina. It specifically investigates why they engaged in black education and how their language, culture and heritage impacted upon the learning experiences of southern blacks. This study suggests that the teachers’ particular worldview did not hinder blacks’ educational advancement, largely because the freedmen sought to control their own institutions.

Author

• AnneMarie Brosnan, Mary Immaculate College