Program

Illinois State Historical Society

Subject

People

Location

101 E Ottawa, Troy Grove, IL 61372, USA

Lat/Long

41.465825, -89.083119

Grant Recipient

Illinois State Historical Society

PRUDENCE CRANDALL (1803-1890) WAS A WHITE TEACHER WHO GAINED FAME FOR CONDUCTING AN ADVANCED ACADEMY FOR BLACK WOMEN IN CANTERBURY, CONNECTICUT. SPARKED BY DISCUSSIONS WITH MARIA DAVIS, A BLACK WOMAN WHO SHARED ABOLITIONIST LITERATURE WITH HER, CRANDALL AGREED TO ADMIT LOCAL BLACK WOMAN SARAH HARRIS TO HER EXISTING SCHOOL IN 1832. UNDER WITHERING WHITE CONTEMPT, CRANDALL RESTRUCTURED THE ACADEMY EXCLUSIVELY FOR BLACK WOMEN AND GIRLS. TWO DOZEN BLACK WOMEN AND GIRLS ATTENDED BETWEEN 1833-34, MANY OF WHOM BECAME EDUCATORS, POLITICAL ACTIVISTS, AND NEWSPAPER EDITORS. MEANWHILE, LOCAL WHITES CONTRIVED A BLACK LAW AGAINST THE SCHOOL, AND STOKED CONSTANT VIGILANTISM, UNTIL THE SCHOOL WAS COMPELLED TO CLOSE FOLLOWING A VICIOUS ATTACK IN SEPTEMBER 1834. CRANDALL MOVED TO TROY GROVE IN 1842, LIVING IN ILLINOIS FOR THIRTY-FIVE YEARS, PRIMARILY IN LASALLE COUNTY AND BRIEFLY IN ROCK ISLAND COUNTY. IN ILLINOIS SHE WAS ACTIVE IN THE WOMAN’S RIGHTS, ABOLITIONIST, AND SPIRITUALIST MOVEMENTS. DURING THE CIVIL WAR, SHE DISTRIBUTED PAMPHLETS TO UNION SOLDIERS ON LEAVE IN MENDOTA, ENDORSING EMANCIPATION. SHE WOULD OCCASIONALLY TEACH HER NEIGHBORS’ CHILDREN IN TROY GROVE. SHE WAS A MENTOR TO HER NIECES AND NEPHEWS, WHILE PROVIDING EXTENSIVE ELDER CARE TO HER HUSBAND AND HER MOTHER. IN 1877 PRUDENCE CRANDALL MOVED WITH HER BROTHER HEZEKIAH TO ELK FALLS, KANSAS. HERE SHE REGAINED NATIONAL RENOWN, RECEIVED A COMPENSATORY PENSION FROM CONNECTICUT, AND EARNED PLAUDITS FROM BLACK PROFESSIONALS ACROSS THE COUNTRY, INCLUDING MEMBERS OF THE PRUDENCE CRANDALL LITERARY CLUB IN CHICAGO. SHE IS THE OFFICIAL STATE HEROINE OF CONNECTICUT.