Progress and Achievements of the Colored People / Containing the Story of the Wonderful Advancement of the Colored Americans—the Most Marvelous in the History of Nations—Their Past Accomplishments, Together With Their Present-day Opportunities and a Glimpse Into the Future for Further Developments—the Dawn of a Triumphant Era. A Handbook for Self-improvement Which Leads to Greater Success

by Kelly Miller; Joseph R. Gay

CHURCH SCHOOLS AFTER THE WAR.

White church boards.—With these developments under the leadership of the bureau, the people who had maintained the previous operations began to turn their minds to schools of a higher grade; and at this point appear indications of denominational purpose. During the war, considerations of patriotism and humanity were dominant, and churches of every name united in the efforts undertaken; but, with the return of peace, missionary enterprise took into view the churches that were to grow up among the Freedmen, and shaped itself more or less in their behalf. This was most natural in those churches whose affiliations in the South had been strongest before the war—the Baptist, Methodist and Presbyterian churches. For the sake of these churches that were to be, they took measures to build up schools of higher learning at carefully chosen centers, which they hoped might become favorite resorts for scholars, rallying points for religious organization and institutions of Christian culture and enlightenment for all the region around.

The Baptists instituted Shaw University at Raleigh, in 1865, Roger Williams at Nashville and Morehouse at Atlanta, in 1867, Leland at New Orleans, in 1869, and Benedict at Columbia, in 1871; and the Free Baptists established Storer at Harper’s Ferry in 1867. The Methodist Episcopal Church instituted Walden at Nashville, in 1865, Rust at Holly Springs, in 1866, Morgan at Baltimore, in 1867, Haven Academy at Waynesboro, in 1868, Claflin at Orangeburg, in 1869, and Clark at Atlanta, in 1870. The Presbyterians already had their important school in Pennsylvania, called Ashmun Institute, now Lincoln University, founded in 1854; to which was added Biddle University, in 1867. The Episcopal Church instituted St. Augustine’s at Raleigh, in 1867. The Congregational Church, through the American Missionary was one of the earliest denominations to enter the field of Negro education systematically. In 1865, it had Avery Institute at Charleston, Ballard Normal at Macon, and Washburn at Beaufort, N. C.; in 1866, Trinity at Athens, Ala., Gregory at Wilmington, N. C., and Fisk University at Nashville; in 1867, Talladega College in Alabama, Emerson at Mobile, Storrs at Atlanta, and Beach at Savannah; in 1868, Hampton Institute in Virginia, Knox at Athens, Ga., Burwell at Selma, Ala., since removed to Florence, and the Ely Normal, now a public school in Louisville; in 1869, Straight University at New Orleans, Tougaloo in Mississippi, Le Moyne at Memphis, and Lincoln at Marion, Ala.; in 1870, Dorchester Academy at McIntosh, and the Albany Normal in Georgia.

The United States Government in 1867 chartered Howard University “for the education of youth in the liberal arts and sciences,” with special provision for the higher education of negroes, but designed for all who might wish to study there, with no race discriminations.

Several notable schools were started in this early period by representatives of the Society of Friends; in 1862 Miss Towne and Miss Murray opened the Penn School on Helena Island, in the neighborhood of Hilton Head; in 1865 Cornelia Hancock, of Philadelphia, opened the Laing School at Mount Pleasant, in the vicinity of Charleston, and carried it on until 1869, when it passed into the charge of Abby D. Munro, of Bristol, R. I., who continued it for upwards of forty years; in 1868 Martha Schofield, of Pennsylvania, founded the industrial school at Aiken, which bears her name and was under her management till very recently, when she resigned on account of the infirmities of age. In 1864, Calvin and Alida Clark, with the support of the Society of Friends in Indiana, started a work for colored orphans in Helena; and then, in 1869, the education want having become paramount, removed some ten miles to a farm in the country and established there the Southland College.

The growth of educational forces throughout the field is shown by the continual establishment of new schools as well as by the increasing effectiveness of the older ones. Several churches that have not been referred to have had an important share in the movement. The Reformed Presbyterians had their workers among the Negro refugees at Beaufort, Fernandina, Washington, and Natchez during the war, and between 1864 and 1866 they maintained a school at Natchez with an enrollment of some 300 pupils; but in 1874 they undertook a more permanent work in Selma, Ala., with the planting of Knox Academy, which has kept to high educational standards and exerted a most important influence. The United Presbyterians, likewise, had a school in Nashville in 1863, which was carried on in a quiet way till 1875, when Knoxville College was started to do normal work, and forthwith took its position as a central station from which a whole group of schools was directed, several in east Tennessee, others in North Carolina and Virginia, and a number of rural schools in Wilcox County, Ala. In 1878 a school was opened at Franklinton, N. C., which was maintained by the “American Christian Convention” and in 1890 was chartered as the Franklinton Christian College. The Southern Presbyterians, in 1876, established Stillman Institute at Tuscaloosa for the education of Negroes for the Christian ministry. The Southern Methodist Episcopal Church in 1884 founded Paine College at Augusta, Ga. Thus the several bodies of Christian people each had its own organized activities in behalf of the colored people.

Negro church boards.—Meanwhile, as these people became better educated, their churches grew in numbers and strength, and the conviction began to find expression that they ought to have schools under their own management. The African Methodist Church had already had Wilberforce in Ohio, founded in 1817, and Western in Kansas, founded in 1864; but they felt that the time had come for other institutions, which should be planted at important centers of power in the South. So, in 1880, this church secured ground in Columbia, S. C., began to build as soon as they were able, and in 1881 opened Allen University; then steps were taken to establish another school in Atlanta, and in 1885 Morris Brown was opened to students; now they have schools at Waco, Tex.; Jackson, Miss.; Selma, Ala., and elsewhere. At about the same time the Zion Methodist Church moved for the establishment of Livingstone College, which was incorporated in 1879, and began work on its present site at Salisbury in 1882; this church now has other smaller schools also. The Colored Methodist Church which is closely affiliated with the Southern Methodist Church, projected Lane College, at Jackson, Tennessee, in 1878 and in 1882, a building was erected and the school opened; this body now has other schools at Birmingham, Ala.; Holly Springs, Miss.; and Tyler, Tex. The Colored Baptists have shown similar enterprise, often in cooperation with the Home Mission Society of the Northern Baptists, but particularly through their own conventions.