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
John Stuart Mill · en
At first, and for some years after the close of the war, the teaching in
colored schools was mostly elementary. It was so from the nature of the
situation. There was no call for any other than the simplest lessons;
and after the Negroes had all been made free it was most essential that
a chance should be given them everywhere to acquire some education as a
qualification for citizenship. So the task of the Freedmen’s Bureau,
joining with the other agencies already in the field, was to set up
these elementary schools in all places where there were Freedmen to
attend them. These schools were made public in the largest sense and
free to all who cared to attend them. And out of them grew the present
public school system for Negroes in the South. It was at this point that
denominationalism entered into the education of the Negro. In discussing
this phase of Negro Education, it is noteworthy that one of the first
denominational schools established, was by the colored people themselves
in the founding of Wilberforce University.
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.