On This Day

Prudence Crandall, a white woman, arrested for conducting an academy for black females at Canterbury, Connecticut

Prudence Crandall (September 3, 1803 – January 27, 1890) was an American schoolteacher and activist.

Prudence Crandall (September 3, 1803 – January 27, 1890) was an American schoolteacher and activist. She ran the Canterbury Female Boarding School in Canterbury, Connecticut, which became the first known school for African American girls ("young Ladies and little Misses of color") in the United States led by a white woman. She was the sister of Reuben Crandall, the defendant in the Trial of Reuben Crandall.

In 1832, when Crandall admitted Sarah Harris, a 20-year-old African American woman, to her school, she created what can be considered the first known integrated classroom in the United States. Following the decision, parents of white students began to withdraw their daughters.

Historical Significance

Prudence Crandall (September 3, 1803 – January 27, 1890) was an American schoolteacher and activist.

Events Before

  1. Romantic ballet "La Sylphide" by Filippo Taglioni premieres at the Opéra de Paris

    Romantic ballet "La Sylphide" by Filippo Taglioni premieres at the Opéra de Paris

  2. British Parliament, led by Charles Grey, passes the Reform Act, introducing wide-ranging changes to the electoral system

    British Parliament, led by Charles Grey, passes the Reform Act, introducing wide-ranging changes to the electoral system of England and Wales, increasing the electorate from about 500,000 voters to 813,000

  3. Felix Mendelssohn's concert overture "Hebrides" premieres in London, England

    The Hebrides (German: Die Hebriden) is a concert overture that was composed by Felix Mendelssohn in 1830, revised in 1832, and published the next year as Mendelssohn's Op. 26.

  4. First US Democratic National Convention is held in Baltimore

    The 1832 Democratic National Convention was held from May 21 to May 23, 1832, in Baltimore, Maryland.

  5. Source of Mississippi River discovered by American geographer Henry Schoolcraft

    Henry Rowe Schoolcraft (March 28, 1793 – December 10, 1864) was an American geographer, geologist, and ethnologist, noted for his early studies of Native American cultures, as well as for his 1832...

Events After

  1. German Zollverein (Customs Union) comes into effect

    The Zollverein, or German Customs Union, was a coalition of German states formed to manage tariffs and economic policies within their territories.

  2. Religious leader Brigham Young (32) weds herbalist Mary Ann Angell (27)

    Religious leader Brigham Young (32) weds herbalist Mary Ann Angell (27)

  3. Slavery Abolition Act 1833 comes into effect, abolishing slavery across the British Empire

    Slavery Abolition Act 1833 comes into effect, abolishing slavery across the British Empire

  4. American abolitionist William Lloyd Garrison (28) weds Helen Eliza Benson (22), in Boston, Massachusetts

    American abolitionist William Lloyd Garrison (28) weds Helen Eliza Benson (22), in Boston, Massachusetts

  5. US Congressman and future US President Franklin Pierce (29) weds Jane Appleton (28) at her grandparents' home in Amherst

    US Congressman and future US President Franklin Pierce (29) weds Jane Appleton (28) at her grandparents' home in Amherst, New Hampshire

More from the 1830s

Frequently Asked Questions

What happened on June 27, 1833?
Prudence Crandall (September 3, 1803 – January 27, 1890) was an American schoolteacher and activist. She ran the Canterbury Female Boarding School in Canterbury, Connecticut, which became the first known school for African American girls ("young Ladies and little Misses of color") in the United States led by a white woman. She was the sister of Reuben Crandall, the defendant in the Trial of Reuben Crandall.
Why is Prudence Crandall, a white woman, arrested for conducting an academy for blac... significant?
Prudence Crandall (September 3, 1803 – January 27, 1890) was an American schoolteacher and activist.

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