Freedmen's Aid Society facts for kids
The Freedmen's Aid Society was a special group created in 1859 during the American Civil War. It was started by the American Missionary Association (AMA), which was supported by churches like the Congregational, Presbyterian, and Methodist churches in the North. Their main goal was to help formerly enslaved people, known as freedmen, and their children get an education. They sent teachers from the North to the South and even built homes for them.
The AMA eventually started more than 500 schools and colleges in the South after the war. These schools helped freedmen become teachers, nurses, and other skilled professionals.
Helping Freed People Learn
The work of the Freedmen's Aid Society grew quickly after the Civil War ended. This was also the start of the Reconstruction era. Education for freedmen was seen as a very important goal by both Black and white people. Many different religious groups supported the Society.
The Society began its work in the South just three months after it was formed. By the end of its first year, it had found 52 teachers. These teachers taught over 5,000 students in 59 schools. The schools were open to everyone, including men, women, and children.
Big Successes
By the early 1900s, the number of Black people who could read and write had grown a lot. This was a huge success story after the war. However, around this time, state governments in the South began to create laws that separated people by race. They also gave less money to schools and other places for Black people.
Who Led the Society?
Both the Congregational and the Methodist Episcopal churches played a big part in leading the Freedmen's Aid Society. The Methodist church's history says their version of the Society started in 1866. It was guided by a group of managers chosen by the Methodist General Conference.
In 1920, the Society was reorganized and renamed the Board of Education for Negroes. Later, in 1939, it became part of the main Board of Education of the Methodist Church.
Notable People
- Ednah Dow Littlehale Cheney
- Anna Fisher Beiler
- Richard S. Rust
See also
