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Floating Freedom School

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To circumvent the new state law in Missouri, Reverend Meachum bought a steamboat which he anchored in the middle of the Mississippi River, thus placing it under the authority of the federal government. The new floating "Freedom School" was outfitted with desks, chairs, and a library. Students were
189:, who received much of his reading and religious training from the school. Reverend Anderson later took over management of the school after Meachum's death in 1854. School attendance dropped off just before the Civil War, with only 155 black children enrolled in 1860. 609: 599: 205:
The exact location of where the school was anchored in the Mississippi River is unknown. Possibilities include near where Meachum built steamboats (also unknown), up north near
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Hundreds of black children were educated at the Freedom School in the 1840s and 1850s. Those who could pay were charged one dollar a month. One of the early students was
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Durst, Dennis L. (Spring 2004). "The Reverend John Berry Meachum (1789-1854) of St. Louis: Prophet and Entrepreneurial Black Educator in Historiographical Perspective".
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ferried back and forth between St. Louis and the Freedom School in small skiffs. The school eventually attracted teachers from the East.
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In 1847, John Berry Meachum was forced to close the school he had been operating in a St. Louis church basement. Earlier that year, the
80: 415: 388: 594: 455: 28: 73: 186: 151: 480: 163: 405: 378: 170:, in reading or writing". Meachum and one of his teachers were arrested by the sheriff and threatened. 526: 178: 232:"'Floating Freedom School': Historic black pastor leaves legacy of liberty, education in Missouri" 182: 147: 566: 411: 384: 357: 300: 272: 143: 34: 351: 294: 431: 206: 181:, who would go on to establish 30 new schools for African Americans in Missouri after the 323: 583: 498:"Commentary: A look back: Early African-American education in St. Louis was hard won" 166:
had passed a law that made it illegal to provide "the instruction of negroes or
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was an educational facility for free and enslaved African Americans on a
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Historically segregated African-American schools in the United States
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Discovering African American St. Louis: A Guide to Historic Sites
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The North Star: A Journal of African American Religious History
383:. St. Louis: Missouri Historical Society Press. p. 2. 410:. Columbia: University of Missouri Press. p. 96. 456:"African American History at Father Dickson Cemetery" 146:. It was established in 1847 by the Baptist minister 154:, a former student, and closed sometime after 1860. 124: 116: 111: 72: 49: 21: 565:. Illustrated by Ron Husband. Disney * Hyperion. 479:Shipley, Alberta D.; Shipley, David O. (1976). 353:American Educational History Journal: Volume 48 8: 600:Former school buildings in the United States 299:. University of Missouri Press. p. 96. 345: 343: 18: 482:The History of Black Baptists in Missouri 620:1847 establishments in the United States 288: 286: 407:A Second Home: Missouri's Early Schools 350:McCarther, Shirley Marie (2021-08-01). 318: 316: 296:A Second Home: Missouri's Early Schools 222: 198: 7: 605:African-American history of Missouri 527:"Durst, Reverend John Berry Meachum" 258: 256: 254: 252: 60:Mississippi River, off the shore of 16:Historic school on Mississippi River 590:Steamboats of the Mississippi River 209:, or somewhere else near St. Louis. 496:Tabscott, Robert W. (2009-09-20). 14: 230:Hawkins, Ben (February 8, 2022). 525:Durst, Dennis L. (Spring 2004). 324:"John B. Meachum, Minister born" 27: 542:Gaines, Allison (2021-12-24). 1: 615:Anti-black racism in Missouri 238:. Missouri Baptist Conference 57: 561:Hopkinson, Deborah (2016). 636: 293:Thomas, Sue (2013-04-19). 328:African American Registry 58: 54: 26: 377:Wright, John A. (1994). 136:Floating Freedom School 22:Floating Freedom School 502:St. Louis Public Radio 595:Floating architecture 460:National Park Service 432:"James Milton Turner" 96:38.62139°N 90.17861°W 33:Riverboats along the 563:The Steamboat School 436:Historic Missourians 404:Thomas, Sue (2006). 164:Missouri legislature 179:James Milton Turner 101:38.62139; -90.17861 92: /  148:John Berry Meachum 572:978-1-4231-2196-1 363:978-1-64802-613-3 306:978-0-8262-6566-1 144:Mississippi River 132: 131: 35:Mississippi River 627: 576: 557: 555: 554: 538: 512: 511: 509: 508: 493: 487: 486: 476: 470: 469: 467: 466: 452: 446: 445: 443: 442: 428: 422: 421: 401: 395: 394: 374: 368: 367: 347: 338: 337: 335: 334: 320: 311: 310: 290: 281: 280: 260: 247: 246: 244: 243: 227: 210: 203: 187:John R. Anderson 152:John R. Anderson 107: 106: 104: 103: 102: 97: 93: 90: 89: 88: 85: 31: 19: 635: 634: 630: 629: 628: 626: 625: 624: 580: 579: 573: 560: 552: 550: 541: 524: 521: 519:Further reading 516: 515: 506: 504: 495: 494: 490: 478: 477: 473: 464: 462: 454: 453: 449: 440: 438: 430: 429: 425: 418: 403: 402: 398: 391: 376: 375: 371: 364: 349: 348: 341: 332: 330: 322: 321: 314: 307: 292: 291: 284: 262: 261: 250: 241: 239: 229: 228: 224: 219: 214: 213: 207:Alton, Illinois 204: 200: 195: 160: 100: 98: 94: 91: 86: 83: 81: 79: 78: 68: 45: 17: 12: 11: 5: 633: 631: 623: 622: 617: 612: 607: 602: 597: 592: 582: 581: 578: 577: 571: 558: 539: 531:The North Star 520: 517: 514: 513: 488: 471: 447: 423: 416: 396: 389: 369: 362: 339: 312: 305: 282: 248: 221: 220: 218: 215: 212: 211: 197: 196: 194: 191: 185:. Another was 159: 156: 130: 129: 126: 122: 121: 118: 114: 113: 109: 108: 76: 70: 69: 59: 56: 55: 52: 51: 47: 46: 32: 24: 23: 15: 13: 10: 9: 6: 4: 3: 2: 632: 621: 618: 616: 613: 611: 608: 606: 603: 601: 598: 596: 593: 591: 588: 587: 585: 574: 568: 564: 559: 549: 545: 540: 536: 532: 528: 523: 522: 518: 503: 499: 492: 489: 484: 483: 475: 472: 461: 457: 451: 448: 437: 433: 427: 424: 419: 417:9780826216694 413: 409: 408: 400: 397: 392: 390:1-883982-00-6 386: 382: 381: 373: 370: 365: 359: 355: 354: 346: 344: 340: 329: 325: 319: 317: 313: 308: 302: 298: 297: 289: 287: 283: 278: 274: 270: 266: 259: 257: 255: 253: 249: 237: 233: 226: 223: 216: 208: 202: 199: 192: 190: 188: 184: 180: 175: 171: 169: 165: 157: 155: 153: 149: 145: 141: 137: 127: 123: 119: 115: 110: 105: 77: 75: 71: 67: 63: 53: 48: 44: 40: 36: 30: 25: 20: 562: 551:. Retrieved 547: 534: 530: 505:. Retrieved 501: 491: 481: 474: 463:. Retrieved 459: 450: 439:. Retrieved 435: 426: 406: 399: 379: 372: 352: 331:. Retrieved 327: 295: 268: 264: 240:. Retrieved 235: 225: 201: 176: 172: 161: 135: 133: 271:(2): 1, 6. 236:The Pathway 117:Established 112:Information 99: / 74:Coordinates 584:Categories 553:2022-02-15 507:2022-02-12 465:2022-02-15 441:2022-02-18 333:2022-02-15 242:2022-02-14 217:References 128:After 1860 87:90°10′43″W 84:38°37′17″N 277:1094-902X 183:Civil War 168:mulattoes 140:steamboat 39:St. Louis 548:Momentum 66:Missouri 62:St Louis 43:Missouri 356:. IAP. 158:History 142:on the 50:Address 569:  414:  387:  360:  303:  275:  125:Closed 193:Notes 567:ISBN 537:(2). 412:ISBN 385:ISBN 358:ISBN 301:ISBN 273:ISSN 134:The 120:1847 37:at 586:: 546:. 533:. 529:. 500:. 458:. 434:. 342:^ 326:. 315:^ 285:^ 267:. 251:^ 234:. 64:, 41:, 575:. 556:. 535:7 510:. 468:. 444:. 420:. 393:. 366:. 336:. 309:. 279:. 269:7 245:.

Index


Mississippi River
St. Louis
Missouri
St Louis
Missouri
Coordinates
38°37′17″N 90°10′43″W / 38.62139°N 90.17861°W / 38.62139; -90.17861
steamboat
Mississippi River
John Berry Meachum
John R. Anderson
Missouri legislature
mulattoes
James Milton Turner
Civil War
John R. Anderson
Alton, Illinois
"'Floating Freedom School': Historic black pastor leaves legacy of liberty, education in Missouri"




ISSN
1094-902X


A Second Home: Missouri's Early Schools
ISBN
978-0-8262-6566-1

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