Article
Margaret Douglass: Literacy Education to Freed Blacks in Antebellum Virginia
Bound Away: The Liberty Journal of History
(2018)
Abstract
In the 19th century, voices for social reform reached a high pitch—both figuratively and literally. Recognizable women’s voices were heard in various reform movements: Susan B. Anthony, Jane Addams, Dorothea Dix, Harriet Tubman, Catherine Beecher and her sister Harriet Beecher-Stowe. These women were active in bringing about change in the societal roles and treatment of women, children, slaves, freedmen, and persons who were illiterate, disabled, poor, or incarcerated. A name not as recognizable, yet often held as an example of activism for educational rights of emancipated blacks, is that of Margaret Douglass—a white Virginian woman who was jailed for a month for violating an 1849 law prohibiting the teaching of reading and writing to freedmen. Although Douglass’ actions and the consequences faced for them have earned her a modicum of notoriety, further consideration may affirm that the limited status she holds as a social activist is warranted.
By no means does exploring such a thesis intend to discredit the commendable actions of Douglass or in any way to question her motives. It is a significant pursuit, however, to understand how benevolence toward a marginalized group or how provision of a valuable service to them may not equate to social activism that intentionally pushes boundaries to transform society. Questions to be considered include the following: (1) To what degree did Douglass’ resistance result in societal reform? (2) Was reform actually her intent, and—if so—what was her role and how sustained were her efforts? (3) What methods did she implement in her civil disobedience?
Keywords
- African American Education,
- History of American Education,
- Anti-literacy Laws,
- Antebellum South
Disciplines
Publication Date
2018
Citation Information
Samuel J. Smith. "Margaret Douglass: Literacy Education to Freed Blacks in Antebellum Virginia" Bound Away: The Liberty Journal of History Vol. 2 Iss. 2 (2018) Available at: http://works.bepress.com/samuel_smith/100/