Nellie A. Ramsey Leslie facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Nellie A. Ramsey Leslie
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| Born |
Nellie A. Coles
c. 1840s |
| Died | c. 1920s Muskogee, Oklahoma
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| Nationality | American |
| Other names | Nellie A. Ramsey, N. A. R. Leslie |
| Occupation | teacher, music instructor |
| Years active | 1865-1899 |
Nellie A. Ramsey Leslie (also known as N. A. R. Leslie) lived from around the 1840s to the 1920s. She was a very important teacher, musician, and composer. Nellie worked in places like Louisiana, Mississippi, and Indian Territory. She also taught in Corpus Christi, Texas, where she started a special music school for girls.
Nellie was born into slavery in Virginia. After she gained her freedom, she went to school in Ohio. Then, she moved to Louisiana to teach for the Freedmen's Bureau. This group helped formerly enslaved people. Nellie also studied at the Normal School of Straight University to become an even better teacher. She taught many formerly enslaved people and their children in different states. She was well-known for teaching music, composing songs, and performing. Sadly, none of her musical works are still around today.
Early Life and Education
Nellie A. Ramsey was born into slavery in Virginia. We don't know much about her very early life. She was the fourth daughter of Nannie and Charles P. Coles. She also had a brother named Solomon Melvin Coles.
After slavery ended, Nellie went north to Ohio. There, she was able to get an education. In 1865, she started working for the Freedmen's Bureau. This organization helped formerly enslaved people get an education and find jobs. Soon after the Civil War ended, Nellie moved to Louisiana to begin her teaching career.
Her brother, Solomon M. Coles, also worked hard to get an education. He became a minister and later taught children in Corpus Christi, Texas. He even became the first Black principal of the school there. This shows how important education was to Nellie's family.
A Dedicated Teacher
Nellie Ramsey started teaching elementary school in New Orleans in 1865. Her salary was paid by the city's public school board and the American Missionary Association (AMA). The AMA helped many teachers in the South. Their goal was to educate formerly enslaved people and their children.
From 1870 to 1871, Nellie studied at the Normal School of Straight University. This university was new and also founded by the AMA. The next year, she began teaching primary school at Straight University. She also taught in Amite City, Louisiana. People thought very highly of her teaching. In 1872, she received a wonderful letter praising her work.
Nellie taught in Amite City until 1874. That year, she married Rev. R. A. Leslie. He was a Presbyterian minister. They moved to a school in Osyka, Mississippi. Rev. Leslie was a Creek Indian. Around 1880, he and Nellie moved to Indian Territory. There, he helped start schools for Creek Freedmen. The couple opened a boarding house in Muskogee the next year. They lived in Indian Territory for several years. Later, they returned to Mississippi, where Rev. Leslie passed away in 1884.
Music and New Schools
After her husband's passing, Nellie Leslie continued her education. She studied at the Boston Conservatory of Music. Then, she moved to Paris, Texas. There, she started her own music school. By 1886, her school was doing very well.
The next year, she went back to Muskogee, Indian Territory. She taught at a private girls' academy there. Her school charged eight dollars a month for tuition. Nellie also founded the Afro-American International Institute and School of Arts. In the summer of 1891, she became the principal of the Tullahassee Mission School. This school was for Creek Freedmen. Nellie served as principal until October 1891.
Later, Nellie moved to Corpus Christi, Texas. She went there to help her brother, Solomon Cole, raise his daughter. In Corpus Christi, Nellie opened a music school for girls. She was known across the region for her amazing teaching skills. Nellie also performed music and was seen as an important composer. However, none of her musical pieces are still known today.
After working in Texas for several years, Nellie Leslie returned to Indian Territory. She started teaching again at the Tallahassee Mission in 1895. She was the music director there for at least three years. In 1920, Nellie was still living in Muskogee, Oklahoma. In 1921, she performed at a Baptist gathering in Bristow, Oklahoma.
