Abby Davis Munro facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Abby Davis Munro
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Munro c. 1896
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| Born | 1837 |
| Died | 1913 |
| Known for | Teaching, founding the Mount Pleasant Home for Destitute Children |
Abby Davis Munro (1837-1913) was a dedicated teacher and a strong supporter of ending slavery. She worked in South Carolina, where she managed the Laing School in Mount Pleasant. She also started a special home for children called the Mount Pleasant Home for Destitute Children.
About Abby Munro
Abby Munro was born in 1837 in Bristol, Rhode Island. She never married. Later in her life, she moved to South Carolina during a time known as the Reconstruction era. This was after the American Civil War, when the country was rebuilding.
Abby Munro was known for being very kind to Black Americans. This was unusual for many white Americans at that time, as there was a lot of unfair treatment based on race. She cared deeply about people and how they lived. She wrote in her diary about seeing many difficult conditions and how slavery had affected the lives of people in the South.
Her Work as a Teacher
Abby Munro worked for the Pennsylvania Abolition Society, a group that worked to end slavery. She was also a teacher. She taught African Americans who had recently gained their freedom.
She first taught at the Avery Institute in Charleston. Then, in 1869, she moved to the Laing School in Mount Pleasant. She worked there for 40 years, first as a teacher and later as the principal.
Abby Munro was known for being strict but also very kind. She asked her students to memorize and recite a Bible verse every week. She wanted them to learn and grow.
She also ran a place where Black teachers could live. In July 1883, she opened an orphanage. An orphanage is a home for children who don't have parents or a family to care for them. People sometimes called it Munro's school. Its official name was the Mount Pleasant Home for Destitute Children.
Abby Munro worked hard to get money from people in the Northeastern United States to support her school. She used this money to buy a house and turn it into the children's home. Parents who were very poor sometimes gave their children to the school so they could be cared for and educated.
Her Passing
Abby Munro passed away at her home in 1913 when she was 76 years old. She died from a heart attack. Her three sisters were still alive at that time.
Her Lasting Impact
Abby Munro's personal journals and other papers are now kept in important collections. You can find them at the University of South Carolina Libraries. They are also part of the collection at the National Museum of African American History and Culture, shared with the Library of Congress. These writings help us learn more about her life and the important work she did.
