The Forbidden Schoolhouse

Bibliographic Information
Jurmain, Suzanne. 2005. THE FORBIDDEN SCHOOLHOUSE: THE TRUE AND DRAMATIC STORY OF PRUDENCE CRANDALL AND HER STUDENTS. Houghton Mifflin Company. Boston, MA. ISBN 0618473025

Plot
This is the story of how Prudence Crandall closed her school for white females and opened an all colored girls boarding school in 1833. Although history paints abolitionists as zealous liberty fighters not afraid to back away from liberty for all, Ms. Crandall’s tale is even more amazing considering her background. Born as a Quaker in a small Connecticut town, Ms. Prudence received an education despite her parents being simple farmers. She had dreams of opening a boarding house for girls, which she did, and was extremely successful as a teacher, principal and business woman. However, an interesting newspaper owned by her African American maid convicted her heart about the true injustices the African American community was facing. Ms. Crandall decided then and there she would help the freed slaves as it was the right thing to do. However, she had a school to run and the notion of opening her doors to a Negro girl never entered her mind until her maid’s friend asked if she could be accepted into the school. With the decision to accept Sarah, her future first black pupil, Ms. Crandall faced a whirlwind of opposition, especially from people she considered to be her friend. She soon realized she would have to close her doors to white students and would try to accept only black girls. During a time span of nearly two years, she educated a total of nine girls, spent a night in jail, was brought to trial twice, got married, and was granted an appeal to the Supreme Court of Errors. However, due to an increase of violent acts, Mrs. Philleo decided to close the school. The rest of her life was filled with additional turmoil as her husband was mentally ill. She tried to move away from him, but the desire to do the right thing always brought her back to his side. At the end of her eighty-sixth year of life, she died, but though she is gone, her influenced on educational equality in America is seen daily in schools across the country.

Critical Analysis
This telling of a remarkable young woman during the 1830’s is much more than a ‘just the facts’ book.
In a chronological containing the injustices and the emotions Ms. Crandall had to endure—from being asked by the nineteen year old girl Sarah to join her school, to looking at the vandalism that eventually forced Ms. Crandall to close her school—this book paints a realistic picture of pre-civil war days in Connecticut. Although modern children probably think nothing of sharing a classroom with students of a variety of ethnic backgrounds, this exposure to ignorance in our history is integral to the shaping of a character worthy to be called a United States citizen. Not only does this tale give an excellent example of how to act under fire, it also shows modern children the value of doing what is right, despite setbacks and hardships. The text is peppered with quotes from letters, accounts from trial journals, and snippets from newspapers. Color pictures depict how Ms. Crandall’s school probably looked while she operated it. And most importantly, Diane Stanley creates an exquisite glimpse into the heart of a courageous young woman. This book contains a lesson that people continue to learn close to two hundred years later. Acceptance.

Review Excerpts
School Library Journal: Jurmain describes the difficulties Crandall faced when she decided to open a school for African-American females in Canterbury, CT. Although she had the support of William Lloyd Garrison, editor of the antislavery publication the Liberator; Reverend Samuel May, a Unitarian minister; and others, her hard work met resistance in the form of riots, arson, and a jail sentence. …This book offers a fresh look at the climate of education for African Americans and women in the early 1800s. Report writers and recreational readers alike will find it informative.

Booklist: Crandall's obscurity may limit the appeal of this book, though readers looking for the individual who bravely fights for the rights of others will be inspired by her dedication, strength, and moral compass. Less compelling are the details of Crandall's difficult marriage and the tidy epilogue about educational inequality and the civil rights movement. Fascinating photographs and images from period newspapers accompany many of the pages, and endnotes provide insight into the later lives of the students, Crandall, and her supporters.

Connections
Additional topics of study:
William Lloyd Garrison
The Civil War
Booker T. Washington
Underground Rail Road
President Abraham Lincoln
Frederick Douglass

Write these and other topics about the issue of equality for African Americans on cards. Students will then draw a card and conduct research about their topic. Depending on the grade, you could have them research a variety of facts about their topic such as a short biography about them, their most influential experience, and their lasting legacy on humanity. You could present this in a variety of ways from poster boards, to comic books, or go the technology route such as podcasts, powerpoints or webpages.