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The Forbidden Schoolhouse: The True and Dramatic Story of Prudence Crandall and Her Students
They threw rocks and rotten eggs at the school windows. Villagers refused to sell Miss Crandall groceries or let her students attend the town church. Mysteriously, her schoolhouse was set on fire—by whom and how remains a mystery. The town authorities dragged her to jail and put her on trial for breaking the law.
Her crime? Trying to teach African American girls geography, history, reading, philosophy, and chemistry. Trying to open and maintain one of the first African American schools in America.
Exciting and eye-opening, this account of the heroine of Canterbury, Connecticut, and her elegant white schoolhouse at the center of town will give readers a glimpse of what it is like to try to change the world when few agree with you.
Her crime? Trying to teach African American girls geography, history, reading, philosophy, and chemistry. Trying to open and maintain one of the first African American schools in America.
Exciting and eye-opening, this account of the heroine of Canterbury, Connecticut, and her elegant white schoolhouse at the center of town will give readers a glimpse of what it is like to try to change the world when few agree with you.
160 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2005
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August 27, 2018
This, Ladies and Gentlemen, was amazing! A woman who opened a school for black girls against huge opposition. Not only was there random attacks on her building but stores wouldn’t sell her supplies. Ni food. Even her well was damaged. No water. Her brother and father had to sneak supplies in to her and her students.
October 24, 2012
The Forbidden Schoolhouse tells the story of Prudence Crandall who against all opposition opened a school to educate African American young women. Already the founder and educator of an all-white girls’ boarding school, Prudence made the decision to close her school to whites and open it strictly for teaching young black girls and young women to become teachers themselves. Before the school even opened Prudence received threats from her fellow townspeople, and after the school opened things got increasingly worse. Stones, rotten eggs, and chicken heads were pelted at the students and the schoolhouse, the students were harassed with profanities and insults, the town boycotted the school by refusing to sell Prudence all supplies including groceries, the schoolhouse’s well was filled with manure to cut their water supply off, and worst of all someone deliberately set fire to the schoolhouse while Prudence and her students were inside. Through all this and continual legal troubles, Prudence Crandall continued to teach her black students and the number of enrolled students continued to grow. After nearly two years since her school opened, it seemed that things were beginning to look up, until one night the schoolhouse’s first floor was violently ransacked while Prudence and her students slept above. It was only after this attack that Prudence decided to close her school for good, for she knew that the attacks would not stop until she did. Although it seemed that Prudence lost her battle, she paved the way for future fights for the rights of African Americans in education, and continued to fight for African American’s and women’s rights until she died at age 86.
The story of Prudence Crandall and her “forbidden schoolhouse” is an inspiring one, she was a true underdog (because she was a woman she was not even allowed to attend the town meetings so she could speak for herself). She followed her conviction to open a school for black girls even though practically her entire town was against her, which included many powerful men in official judicial positions, and even the state of Connecticut did not back her. Suzanne Jurmain has succeeded in telling this story of little-known historical figure Prudence Crandall in an engaging and comprehensive way even though she says, “modern studies of her life are few” and “no complete collection of Prudence’s papers exists” (p. 127). Jurmain brings the story to life for the reader by including photos inside and out of the Crandall school (now a museum), images of some of the major players in the book, and images of primary documents such as the abolitionist newspaper the Liberator. Jurmain conludes with a concise epilogue summing up the impact Prudence’s struggle had on the Brown vs. Board of Education of Topeka U.S. Supreme Court case in the 1950’s, as well as a brief summary of educational opportunities obtained for blacks during and as a result of the civil rights movement. I particularly liked the Appendix which offered information on the lives of several of the students, and Prudence’s friends and enemies after the closing of the Crandall school. The Forbidden Schoolhouse is a book every high school library and public library should own, I highly recommend it!
The story of Prudence Crandall and her “forbidden schoolhouse” is an inspiring one, she was a true underdog (because she was a woman she was not even allowed to attend the town meetings so she could speak for herself). She followed her conviction to open a school for black girls even though practically her entire town was against her, which included many powerful men in official judicial positions, and even the state of Connecticut did not back her. Suzanne Jurmain has succeeded in telling this story of little-known historical figure Prudence Crandall in an engaging and comprehensive way even though she says, “modern studies of her life are few” and “no complete collection of Prudence’s papers exists” (p. 127). Jurmain brings the story to life for the reader by including photos inside and out of the Crandall school (now a museum), images of some of the major players in the book, and images of primary documents such as the abolitionist newspaper the Liberator. Jurmain conludes with a concise epilogue summing up the impact Prudence’s struggle had on the Brown vs. Board of Education of Topeka U.S. Supreme Court case in the 1950’s, as well as a brief summary of educational opportunities obtained for blacks during and as a result of the civil rights movement. I particularly liked the Appendix which offered information on the lives of several of the students, and Prudence’s friends and enemies after the closing of the Crandall school. The Forbidden Schoolhouse is a book every high school library and public library should own, I highly recommend it!
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November 7, 2018Another recommendation from Nancy Pearl’s Book Crush, this is a biography of Prudence Crandall, who as a single 28-year-old white woman decided to open a school for African American girls in Connecticut...in 1833.
Written in a well-paced narrative style appropriate for middle-school readers, The Forbidden Schoolhouse Offers interesting insights about the societal role of and attitudes towards both African Americans and women. While Crandall had several white male abolitionist supporters, the people against her were overwhelming, bullying and harassing her and her students, preventing her from getting food and water, and even going so far as to pass a law called the Black Law making it illegal for African Americans who lived in other states to attend school in Connecticut just to shut down her school. Prudence Crandall remained calm and ladylike, facing down aggressors. She defied the law, and was arrested for her efforts. While the school was short lived as violence against Prudence and her students eventually escalated beyond what was acceptable, several of her students went on to become teachers and mothers of teachers.
In the endnotes, there are also some interesting connections. Samuel May, one of Crandall’s greatest allies, was the uncle of author Louisa May Alcott. The arguments used by Crandall’s attorney William Ellsworth in her defense were helpful to Thurgood Marshall over a hundred years later in the Brown v. Board of Education Supreme Court Case.
A quick and worthwhile read, I appreciated how Jurmain made the history and politics of the era accessible to younger readers without talking down to them. This would be a good resource for students looking for fodder for a history report, or anyone who enjoys American history and true stories about strong women. For older teen and adult readers, this account would pair well with Booker T. Washington’s memoir Up from Slavery, which largely focuses on his quest for an education in the wake of emancipation, and how he came to build a school for African Americans in the South.
Written in a well-paced narrative style appropriate for middle-school readers, The Forbidden Schoolhouse Offers interesting insights about the societal role of and attitudes towards both African Americans and women. While Crandall had several white male abolitionist supporters, the people against her were overwhelming, bullying and harassing her and her students, preventing her from getting food and water, and even going so far as to pass a law called the Black Law making it illegal for African Americans who lived in other states to attend school in Connecticut just to shut down her school. Prudence Crandall remained calm and ladylike, facing down aggressors. She defied the law, and was arrested for her efforts. While the school was short lived as violence against Prudence and her students eventually escalated beyond what was acceptable, several of her students went on to become teachers and mothers of teachers.
In the endnotes, there are also some interesting connections. Samuel May, one of Crandall’s greatest allies, was the uncle of author Louisa May Alcott. The arguments used by Crandall’s attorney William Ellsworth in her defense were helpful to Thurgood Marshall over a hundred years later in the Brown v. Board of Education Supreme Court Case.
A quick and worthwhile read, I appreciated how Jurmain made the history and politics of the era accessible to younger readers without talking down to them. This would be a good resource for students looking for fodder for a history report, or anyone who enjoys American history and true stories about strong women. For older teen and adult readers, this account would pair well with Booker T. Washington’s memoir Up from Slavery, which largely focuses on his quest for an education in the wake of emancipation, and how he came to build a school for African Americans in the South.
December 16, 2020
the writing is dumbed down and too simplistic for the subject matter. This book may be intended for elementary students. If it weren't for the information at the end of the book, the notes the author included for her research, this book would most likely have been 2 stars.
It was fascinating. The violence and acts against the women and girls is shocking. The behaviour of the citizens is disgusting.
It was fascinating. The violence and acts against the women and girls is shocking. The behaviour of the citizens is disgusting.
April 17, 2025
Used this as a book study with my students and thought the author did a wonderful job of piecing together historical documents to create an engaging story for middle schoolers. It really helped them understand some of the tension and discrimination from that time period.
September 2, 2012
Richie’s Picks: THE FORBIDDEN SCHOOLHOUSE: THE TRUE AND DRAMATIC STORY OF PRUDENCE CRANDALL AND HER STUDENTS by Suzanne Jurmain, Houghton Mifflin, 2005, 160p., ISBN: 978-0-618-47302-1
“There were now enough students to make a real class. Prudence lectured. The girls concentrated on their reading and arithmetic. In the classroom it was calm and quiet. But if the girls stepped outside the front gate, boys tailed after them blowing horns, beating drums, and shouting insults. Someone smeared dung on the school steps and door handles, and the doors and windows were pelted by volleys of rotten eggs. Most of the shopkeepers stuck by their agreement and would not sell Prudence supplies. The milk peddler refused to deliver fresh milk, and a local newspaper accused Prudence of trying to ‘break down the barriers which God has placed between blacks and whites.’
“The troubles came so thick and fast, it was hard to count them all. Opening the school had been a hundred times harder than Prudence had imagined. Of course, she’d known that some people would object to black students. She’d expected some protests, but as she explained to the Reverend Jocelyn shortly after the school opened, ‘The thought of such opposition as has been raised in the minds of the people of Canterbury…never once entered into my mind.’ She had never imagined ‘that Christians would act so unwisely and conduct [themselves]…so outrageously.’ Nothing had prepared her for this ‘present scene of adversity.’ But she’d made up her mind. She wasn’t going to give up. ‘I trust God will help me keep this resolution,’ she wrote.”
In 1834, Prudence Crandall opened a school for young black women in Canterbury Connecticut. Her neighbors did everything under the sun to prevent Prudence from operating that school – and they eventually succeeded in literally destroying it.
One thing I really love about THE FORBIDDEN SCHOOLHOUSE – why I was so moved by it and why I want so much to get kids to read it -- is how there is such immediacy to the story. In reading THE FORBIDDEN SCHOOLHOUSE, it is so easy to imagine oneself as a citizen in the town of Canterbury, Connecticut and to wonder whether, if one was in that situation, whether one would have the combination of faith, stubbornness, and heart to stand up for what is right, to walk the walk, to support Prudence Crandall and her right to establish a school for young women of color in the community.
It is easy to agree with a crowd, no matter how evil and wrong-headed they may be, but it takes something far more to swim against the tide. Would I be one to swim against that tide and face threats of violence and ostracism with equanimity and perseverance, or would I let the bullies win? Would I open my mouth and say no, or would I play it safe and just tell myself that it doesn’t involve me, that I don’t need to get involved, that I should just thank God that I am not one of those (current) victims of prejudice and bullying
Prudence Crandall saw these young women as students hungering for knowledge and Prudence Crandall walked the walk. All that her neighbors could see was the color of her students’ skin. When Prudence opened her school in 1834, she was ahead of her time. She is a hero who, I am sure, far too few know of. But we all know about this sort of prejudice, this sort of ignorance and wrong-headedness, for this is a mindset that we still see everywhere today whether it be in the hallways of schools or in the speeches of politicians who appeal to the base xenophobic instincts of the ignorant to gain power and exclude those who look, or talk, or think differently.
Standing up for what is right in the face of ignorance and convention, standing up for those who are not being treated fairly, is an issue that never goes away. And that is why this well-written story of Prudence Crandall and her school will never become irrelevant.
Richie Partington, MLIS
Richie's Picks http://richiespicks.com
BudNotBuddy@aol.com
Moderator http://groups.yahoo.com/group/middle_... http://slisweb.sjsu.edu/people/facult...
“There were now enough students to make a real class. Prudence lectured. The girls concentrated on their reading and arithmetic. In the classroom it was calm and quiet. But if the girls stepped outside the front gate, boys tailed after them blowing horns, beating drums, and shouting insults. Someone smeared dung on the school steps and door handles, and the doors and windows were pelted by volleys of rotten eggs. Most of the shopkeepers stuck by their agreement and would not sell Prudence supplies. The milk peddler refused to deliver fresh milk, and a local newspaper accused Prudence of trying to ‘break down the barriers which God has placed between blacks and whites.’
“The troubles came so thick and fast, it was hard to count them all. Opening the school had been a hundred times harder than Prudence had imagined. Of course, she’d known that some people would object to black students. She’d expected some protests, but as she explained to the Reverend Jocelyn shortly after the school opened, ‘The thought of such opposition as has been raised in the minds of the people of Canterbury…never once entered into my mind.’ She had never imagined ‘that Christians would act so unwisely and conduct [themselves]…so outrageously.’ Nothing had prepared her for this ‘present scene of adversity.’ But she’d made up her mind. She wasn’t going to give up. ‘I trust God will help me keep this resolution,’ she wrote.”
In 1834, Prudence Crandall opened a school for young black women in Canterbury Connecticut. Her neighbors did everything under the sun to prevent Prudence from operating that school – and they eventually succeeded in literally destroying it.
One thing I really love about THE FORBIDDEN SCHOOLHOUSE – why I was so moved by it and why I want so much to get kids to read it -- is how there is such immediacy to the story. In reading THE FORBIDDEN SCHOOLHOUSE, it is so easy to imagine oneself as a citizen in the town of Canterbury, Connecticut and to wonder whether, if one was in that situation, whether one would have the combination of faith, stubbornness, and heart to stand up for what is right, to walk the walk, to support Prudence Crandall and her right to establish a school for young women of color in the community.
It is easy to agree with a crowd, no matter how evil and wrong-headed they may be, but it takes something far more to swim against the tide. Would I be one to swim against that tide and face threats of violence and ostracism with equanimity and perseverance, or would I let the bullies win? Would I open my mouth and say no, or would I play it safe and just tell myself that it doesn’t involve me, that I don’t need to get involved, that I should just thank God that I am not one of those (current) victims of prejudice and bullying
Prudence Crandall saw these young women as students hungering for knowledge and Prudence Crandall walked the walk. All that her neighbors could see was the color of her students’ skin. When Prudence opened her school in 1834, she was ahead of her time. She is a hero who, I am sure, far too few know of. But we all know about this sort of prejudice, this sort of ignorance and wrong-headedness, for this is a mindset that we still see everywhere today whether it be in the hallways of schools or in the speeches of politicians who appeal to the base xenophobic instincts of the ignorant to gain power and exclude those who look, or talk, or think differently.
Standing up for what is right in the face of ignorance and convention, standing up for those who are not being treated fairly, is an issue that never goes away. And that is why this well-written story of Prudence Crandall and her school will never become irrelevant.
Richie Partington, MLIS
Richie's Picks http://richiespicks.com
BudNotBuddy@aol.com
Moderator http://groups.yahoo.com/group/middle_... http://slisweb.sjsu.edu/people/facult...
December 6, 2011
Summary: The Forbidden Schoolhouse is about a teacher named Miss. Crandall who is trying to teach African American girls about philosophy, history, reading, chemisty and geography basically trying to teach them anything that is taught to all of the other students. People didn't respect her for that and thought it was a crime for her to be teaching to African Americans. They wouldn't let her students attend the town church and they refused to sell Miss. Crandall any groceries. They ended up throwing rotten eggs and rocks at the schools windows and eventually they set her schoolhouse on fire. The town authorities then decided to drag Miss. Crandall to jail and they put her on trial for breaking the law. They claimed that she was breaking the law for teaching Africian Americans when all she wanted is for everyone to be treated equally and she wanted to accomplish her goal to open and maintain one of the first African American schools in the United States. She eventually gets her point across and people end up respecting her for the kind determined person that she is.
Age Range: I would definitley not recommend this book to anyone in Elementary school I think that they just simply wouldn't be able to understand the story fully so I think that this book is suited more for the older age groups like in 7th grade and higher. Once your around that age in the intermediate age groups I feel like you are old enough to comprehend and really take in the true meaning of the story and will actually be able to take something from it.
Artistic Elements: There are not to many artistic elements in this book but there are a few. There are a bunch of pictures in this book that go exactly along with what it being read on the page and they actually teach you something some of the pictures show African American students being told my security guards that they can't enter places because that is just for white people and other pictures show documents of newspaper articles and photographs of certain education people and tons of other different pictures. The pictures also have a caption underneath of them explaining to you exactly what the picture is and how it goes along with the story. The writing in this book is actually a decent size its not to small to where you have a hard time reading it its bigger and very spacious.
Recommendation: I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to learn and gain more knowledge about the way African Americans used to be treated. It is very eye opening and makes you be more thankful for the kind of life that you have now. This is an overall inspirational book and everyone should read it.
Age Range: I would definitley not recommend this book to anyone in Elementary school I think that they just simply wouldn't be able to understand the story fully so I think that this book is suited more for the older age groups like in 7th grade and higher. Once your around that age in the intermediate age groups I feel like you are old enough to comprehend and really take in the true meaning of the story and will actually be able to take something from it.
Artistic Elements: There are not to many artistic elements in this book but there are a few. There are a bunch of pictures in this book that go exactly along with what it being read on the page and they actually teach you something some of the pictures show African American students being told my security guards that they can't enter places because that is just for white people and other pictures show documents of newspaper articles and photographs of certain education people and tons of other different pictures. The pictures also have a caption underneath of them explaining to you exactly what the picture is and how it goes along with the story. The writing in this book is actually a decent size its not to small to where you have a hard time reading it its bigger and very spacious.
Recommendation: I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to learn and gain more knowledge about the way African Americans used to be treated. It is very eye opening and makes you be more thankful for the kind of life that you have now. This is an overall inspirational book and everyone should read it.
April 1, 2011
I LOVED this book. It tells such a great story of a very brave woman who dared to open her elite boarding school to young ladies of color. She faced tremendous opposition and danger, but stood by her resolve. With the help of others who championed the cause of civil rights, she left her mark. I'm absolutely amazed... it's a story I want to share with my children... one I think everyone could benefit from reading. I am in wonder at the courage required of many who lived before us... those who felt like we do at a time that it was dangerous to believe in a brotherhood on this earth that extends to every person. It's hard to imagine living in such unenlightened times.
This book is written for young adults and so it's a very easy, quick read. It has a lot of interesting historical pictures and facts as well.
This book is written for young adults and so it's a very easy, quick read. It has a lot of interesting historical pictures and facts as well.
October 28, 2019
This story begins with an extremely smart teacher named Prudence Crandall. Prudence lives in Canterbury, Connecticut in 1838. Prudence buys a house in Canterbury and decides to make it a school for young girls. Her school is an instant success and quickly becomes one of the best schools in the area. Prudence is then approached by a young African American girl named Sally Harris. Sally wants to become a teacher but needs an education. After a long internal debate Prudence decides the only thing that she can do is accept Sally. The new spread around Canterbury like wildfire and many people were infuriated that Prudence taught an African American girl. Many people threatened Prudence and demanded the Prudence expelled Sally. Prudence did not care what these people said and Prudence decided to open an all African American girls school. Prudence reached out to a slave abolitionist who also happened to be a reverend. The reverend introduced her to many families who's daughters would love to attend Prudence's school many of them from out of Connecticut.
Prudence was then exposed to many other abolitionists who supported her.
Prudence opened her school and students began to arrive. The people of Canterbury were extremely angry and continuously threatened Prudence many of them saying Prudence went against the word of god. Prudence ignored many of these ridiculous claims and continued her classes. Prudence, her family, and her students were increasingly harassed .
A very powerful man named Andrew Judson than began to try and stop Prudence legally and began a petition to make it illegal to have someone from out of state to attend school in Connecticut.
Prudence is arrested and only allows herself to be put in jail for a short period of time just to show how cruel Andrew Judson is. Prudence than goes to trial where she had one of her abolitionist friends be her lawyer. They fought hard but did not come to a conclusion whether Prudence should be charged.
Prudence than goes to the highest court in America and wins being declared innocent. Prudence continues her classes though the towns wrath towards Prudence and her pupils never subsided.
Eventually an angry mob storms through Prudence's house leaving it destroyed and Prudence can not afford many of the fines she is being threatened with. Prudence is no longer able to run her school and has to sell it and leave with her new husband.
Prudence's story does not end there.
Prudence's husband was schizophrenic and very unstable. Prudence left him but returned just to leave him again and start a new life with her nephew on the farm. Prudence continued to be an avid abolitionist up until the civil war where Canterbury decides to apologize and repay her for the damage they caused on Prudence's home. Prudence then died at 82 still being an advocate for African American rights.
If I had to change anything about this story it would be the small irrelevant details in the story than could be taken out and condense the story so it doesn't feel like it drags on. For example how they include the fact that one of her students was kicked off of a buggy for attending Prudence's school. I would also change how they overused the word pupils. Otherwise this book was pleasant and I enjoyed it. This book revealed a story I had never heard of and I think it was important that this story was told.
Prudence was then exposed to many other abolitionists who supported her.
Prudence opened her school and students began to arrive. The people of Canterbury were extremely angry and continuously threatened Prudence many of them saying Prudence went against the word of god. Prudence ignored many of these ridiculous claims and continued her classes. Prudence, her family, and her students were increasingly harassed .
A very powerful man named Andrew Judson than began to try and stop Prudence legally and began a petition to make it illegal to have someone from out of state to attend school in Connecticut.
Prudence is arrested and only allows herself to be put in jail for a short period of time just to show how cruel Andrew Judson is. Prudence than goes to trial where she had one of her abolitionist friends be her lawyer. They fought hard but did not come to a conclusion whether Prudence should be charged.
Prudence than goes to the highest court in America and wins being declared innocent. Prudence continues her classes though the towns wrath towards Prudence and her pupils never subsided.
Eventually an angry mob storms through Prudence's house leaving it destroyed and Prudence can not afford many of the fines she is being threatened with. Prudence is no longer able to run her school and has to sell it and leave with her new husband.
Prudence's story does not end there.
Prudence's husband was schizophrenic and very unstable. Prudence left him but returned just to leave him again and start a new life with her nephew on the farm. Prudence continued to be an avid abolitionist up until the civil war where Canterbury decides to apologize and repay her for the damage they caused on Prudence's home. Prudence then died at 82 still being an advocate for African American rights.
If I had to change anything about this story it would be the small irrelevant details in the story than could be taken out and condense the story so it doesn't feel like it drags on. For example how they include the fact that one of her students was kicked off of a buggy for attending Prudence's school. I would also change how they overused the word pupils. Otherwise this book was pleasant and I enjoyed it. This book revealed a story I had never heard of and I think it was important that this story was told.
February 8, 2018
In 1833 a white woman named Prudence Crandall opened a boarding school for “young Ladies and little Misses of Color” in Canterbury, Connecticut, setting off a firestorm of protest in her hometown that lasted until the school closed 18 months later. But during that time Crandall taught girls who would go on to teach at their own schools, and she stood up for the rights of African Americans to receive an education and be treated as equals. Suzanne Jurmain tells her story in The Forbidden Schoolhouse: The True and Dramatic Story of Prudence Crandall and Her Students.
Abolitionists who advocated for the end of slavery were gaining influence in the 1830s, although they often faced violent pushback from those who wanted to keep race relations as they were. Many people who didn’t believe in slavery nonetheless did not want to see blacks gain more civil rights. The volatile atmosphere turned neighbors against each other.
As a woman, Prudence had limited ability to advocate for what she wanted. Forbidden to speak at town assemblies that decided policy, she sought out men who would speak for her. She taught even as she faced arrest and jail time, and she kept teaching until the students’ lives were endangered by locals throwing rocks through windows at night and setting fire to the house.
The story of Prudence and her students is a fascinating look at what life was like for women and African Americans in Northern states, far from the systemic slavery in the South. It’s also a story of how one person can make a difference, particularly when she finds others willing to fight for the same cause. The Forbidden Schoolhouse highlights not only Prudence’s bravery, but also the bravery of her students, who so wanted to learn that they were willing to face physical harm to get an education. An appendix tells what happened to each of the students after the school closed.
The publisher provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
Abolitionists who advocated for the end of slavery were gaining influence in the 1830s, although they often faced violent pushback from those who wanted to keep race relations as they were. Many people who didn’t believe in slavery nonetheless did not want to see blacks gain more civil rights. The volatile atmosphere turned neighbors against each other.
As a woman, Prudence had limited ability to advocate for what she wanted. Forbidden to speak at town assemblies that decided policy, she sought out men who would speak for her. She taught even as she faced arrest and jail time, and she kept teaching until the students’ lives were endangered by locals throwing rocks through windows at night and setting fire to the house.
The story of Prudence and her students is a fascinating look at what life was like for women and African Americans in Northern states, far from the systemic slavery in the South. It’s also a story of how one person can make a difference, particularly when she finds others willing to fight for the same cause. The Forbidden Schoolhouse highlights not only Prudence’s bravery, but also the bravery of her students, who so wanted to learn that they were willing to face physical harm to get an education. An appendix tells what happened to each of the students after the school closed.
The publisher provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
November 18, 2019
This book is based on a real person, Prudence Crandall. I really felt the female empowerment coming through in this book. Even in a time where women didn't have many rights Prudence did everything in her power to teach young women. At first her school was just for young white girls but Prudence ended up changing it to only African American girls. People in her town were angry and tried everything in their power to get the African American girls to leave and for Prudence to stop teaching them. They went as far as passing a law that would make it illegal for Prudence to teach girls that came from out of state. After much torment, Prudence was forced to shut her schoolhouse down but she made a major impact in the lives of the girls she fought to teach for. 50 years later when African Americans had been granted rights, she received apologies from the people of her hometown of Canterbury and she even received a pension for her financial losses and suffering. I think this book sends a huge message. Prudence never gave up and she fought for what she believed was right, even though it wasn't accepted by many. She fought for female education in a time where females had no rights. She fought for African American females education in a time where people didn't even consider African Americans as citizens or humans that should be treated fairly. I love that she fought for what she believed was right and never gave in, even to the highest man in her town.
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October 20, 2019Prudence Crandall was an intelligent woman who graduated from one of the finest boarding schools in New England. She had been teaching for many years before she opened her school. When her school opened, it was for white girls only. Prudence taught many subjects at her school, at a time when schools for women or girls were rare. She had been raised as a Quaker, and so, like all Quakers, she had been taught from an early age that slavery was a sin. An African-American girl named Mariah who worked at the academy introduced Prudence to her friend, Sarah Harris, who ended up being Prudence's first African-American student.
This was where Prudence got the idea to open an all-black school. After her school for African-American girls opened, Prudence's students faced many hardships simply for trying to get an education. Most of the girls were willing to endure just about anything to learn, even a public whipping. Even when Prudence was put on trial, the girls refused to speak until they were asked to by Prudence's lawyer, who was afraid of them being hurt. Prudence and students persevered through many obstacles until the school's eventual closing. Fifty years later, the town of Canterbury decided to repay her debt and Prudence was granted four-hundred dollars a year until she died by the Connecticut legislature.
This was where Prudence got the idea to open an all-black school. After her school for African-American girls opened, Prudence's students faced many hardships simply for trying to get an education. Most of the girls were willing to endure just about anything to learn, even a public whipping. Even when Prudence was put on trial, the girls refused to speak until they were asked to by Prudence's lawyer, who was afraid of them being hurt. Prudence and students persevered through many obstacles until the school's eventual closing. Fifty years later, the town of Canterbury decided to repay her debt and Prudence was granted four-hundred dollars a year until she died by the Connecticut legislature.
April 3, 2018
Jurmain, Suzanne The Forbidden Schoolhouse : The True and Dramatic Story of Prudence Crandall and Her Students, 143 pages. NON-FICTION. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2005. $10. Content: G.
In 1831 Connecticut, Prudence Crandall admits a black student to her elite girls’ boarding school. When the parents threaten to remove the white students, if the black student remains, Prudence decides to turn the school into a boarding school of black students. This begins a legal battle with the town, sending Prudence to jail, and powerful men on both sides of the issue take it all the way to the state supreme court.
Miss Crandall is such a strong woman who sticks to her word until the very bitter end. She put her school, her family, her reputation, everything on the line for education - for educating those who needed it the most - girls who were willing to be teachers. What an inspiring story! Includes captioned photographs of the school, historical drawings and people, a fascinating appendix with "what happened" to the key players, source material, a bibliography and an index. This would make a great supplement in a social studies class.
EL, MS - ADVISABLE Lisa Librarian
https://kissthebook.blogspot.com/2018...
In 1831 Connecticut, Prudence Crandall admits a black student to her elite girls’ boarding school. When the parents threaten to remove the white students, if the black student remains, Prudence decides to turn the school into a boarding school of black students. This begins a legal battle with the town, sending Prudence to jail, and powerful men on both sides of the issue take it all the way to the state supreme court.
Miss Crandall is such a strong woman who sticks to her word until the very bitter end. She put her school, her family, her reputation, everything on the line for education - for educating those who needed it the most - girls who were willing to be teachers. What an inspiring story! Includes captioned photographs of the school, historical drawings and people, a fascinating appendix with "what happened" to the key players, source material, a bibliography and an index. This would make a great supplement in a social studies class.
EL, MS - ADVISABLE Lisa Librarian
https://kissthebook.blogspot.com/2018...
August 17, 2024
Everyone should read this book! Admittedly, it is in the YA section of the library, but I had it on my list and ordered it from the library. I was totally fascinated, horrified and embarrassed! Back in the 1830s in Connecticut, there was a young school teacher named Prudence Crandall. She had purchased a house large enough to house her school rooms and rooms for the girls that would board there. She was quite successful, so successful in fact that a young black girl came to her and begged permission to attend the classes. The young girl knew that this was a huge ask, as it was an all white school smack in the middle of a white neighborhood. Prudence considered the matter seriously and then allowed her first black student to join her school. The parents did not take kindly to this and chaos erupted. Prudence closed the school and after some legwork and a lot of support from some fellow abolitionists, came back and announced that she would be turning the school into a school for the education of young African American girls. Lots of drama, hatred and sleazy politicking ensued, I will leave it to you all to read this true story. Some things never change, crooked judges and politicians made rules and enacted illegal laws to ruin Prudence. 5 stars!!!!!
March 26, 2018
In 1831 Connecticut, Prudence Crandall admits an student to her elite girls’ boarding school. When the parents threaten to remove the white students, if the black student remains, Prudence decides to turn the school into a boarding school of black students. This begins a legal battle with the town, sending Prudence to jail, and powerful men on both sides of the issue take it all the way to the state supreme court.
Miss Crandall is such a strong woman who sticks to her word until the very bitter end. She put her school, her family, her reputation, everything on the line for education - for educating those who needed it the most - girls who were willing to be teachers. What an inspiring story! Includes captioned photographs of the school, historical drawings and people, a fascinating appendix with "what happened" to the key players, source material, a bibliography and an index. This would make a great supplement in a social studies class.
Cross posted to:http://kissthebook.blogspot.com CHECK IT OUT!
Miss Crandall is such a strong woman who sticks to her word until the very bitter end. She put her school, her family, her reputation, everything on the line for education - for educating those who needed it the most - girls who were willing to be teachers. What an inspiring story! Includes captioned photographs of the school, historical drawings and people, a fascinating appendix with "what happened" to the key players, source material, a bibliography and an index. This would make a great supplement in a social studies class.
Cross posted to:http://kissthebook.blogspot.com CHECK IT OUT!
October 16, 2019
This book is about the story of Prudence Crandall, a school teacher in the 1800's. Prudence ran a school for girls to give them an education. But after hearing about the struggle black people are having getting an education, she decides she wants to help. She changes her school to a school for black girls. But the people in her town aren't happy about it. They vandalize the school, harass the girls, create a new law just to try and get Prudence to close the school, refusing to sell the school supplies, even putting Prudence in jail. This is the story of Prudence and her girls fighting for black rights to education.
I thought this book was amazing. I like how this book shows articles and photos that help you to better understand the story and the time it takes place. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in female heroes. It would also be a good book for people who want to learn more about what things were like in the 1800's. I thought this book was well-written and told the story of Connecticut's state female hero really well.
I thought this book was amazing. I like how this book shows articles and photos that help you to better understand the story and the time it takes place. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in female heroes. It would also be a good book for people who want to learn more about what things were like in the 1800's. I thought this book was well-written and told the story of Connecticut's state female hero really well.
April 2, 2018
Always on the lookout for biographies that are sufficiently lengthy (100+ pages), but still appropriate for grades 4-6, I found this book - a biography of Prudence Crandall, who in the 1830's opened a school for African American girls in Canterbury Connecticut, and was met with fierce opposition and prejudice from her neighbors. This biography is best for kids who can understand or are ready to understand that sometimes the fight isn't won... spoiler alert - her neighbors finally drove her school out of business and out of town. Warning - in quoting some opponents, the n-word is used as that is the word the person used. This is addressed in the foreword to the book. Could be extended up into 8th grade, but I suspect it may be a stretch even for gifted 4th graders maturity levels. Pair with stories of African Americans making change to negate the whiff of "white savior" that this book has.
March 17, 2019
“The Forbidden Schoolhouse” tells the story of a teacher named Prudence Crandall and her goal of opening a school for African American girls. Prudence is inspired to do this after seeing how everyone reacted after she let one African American girl study with the other students. This is a nonfiction book, but the author does a very good job of telling it as a story rather than listing a bunch of facts. I am not a huge fan of nonfiction books, but I enjoyed reading this book, and also learned a lot while I was reading it. This book would be acceptable for a wide range of students because it is written in a way that is easy to understand, but still provides very good information for a wide range of ages. I particularly enjoyed the layout of the book. The text was a little bigger than most books, and there was a good amount of pictures, so sometimes I forgot I was reading a chapter book, but I enjoyed it because it did not seem as text heavy as it really was.
March 4, 2021
Fast read about Prudence Crandall and her conviction to teach African American girls in her school in Canterbury CT. Despite being jailed, breaking the absurd Black Laws and having her school vandalized and set on fire, she and her mother and father and brother had conviction she was doing the right Christian thing even if it broke the law.
When shopkeepers refused to sell goods to her knowing she house out of state Black girls, her father bought the supplies and brought them to her.
When someone filled her well with manure and neighbors refused her water from their wells, her father filled barrels of water and brought them to her.
In the 1800s, not many people made it to their 80s but Prudence, now in Kansas still fought for temperance, equal rights and womens rights.
CT...Canterbury in particular finally issued her an apology and reparations of $400 a yr until her death a few years later.
Great book, underdog story one can really get behind!
When shopkeepers refused to sell goods to her knowing she house out of state Black girls, her father bought the supplies and brought them to her.
When someone filled her well with manure and neighbors refused her water from their wells, her father filled barrels of water and brought them to her.
In the 1800s, not many people made it to their 80s but Prudence, now in Kansas still fought for temperance, equal rights and womens rights.
CT...Canterbury in particular finally issued her an apology and reparations of $400 a yr until her death a few years later.
Great book, underdog story one can really get behind!
November 5, 2021
The Forbidden Schoolhouse is a detailed biography of Prudence Crandall's struggles to open a school for young black women. It uses details from Crandall's interviews, letters, and several other sources that speak of her such as "The Liberator" - an abolitionist newspaper ran by one of her dear friends. The book walks us through each of the ups and downs of Crandall's school, from the initial resistance, to the several trails and the various kinds of assault students and workers alike had to endure. I recommend this book to anyone with an interest in early American history and the people who protested slavery long before the Civil War and the Civil Rights movement. Because of the conversational tone and easy language, it is also an entertaining read for younger readers. In a middle school classroom, it would be easy to use it as an introduction to the various views of slavery and civil rights.
October 19, 2019
I think this was an overall good book. It talks about the life of Prudence Crandell, a white female in the 1800's who was a pioneer in education for colored females. The book highlights the obstacles she was faced with along the way and how her perseverance and bravery got her through them. The book also ends with them talking about her impact that is lasting on people even after her death and how the work she did continues in not only the people she met while she was living but also people today. I like how this book talks about someone that although is important to history is not as well-known. I enjoyed learning about these subjects and I thought the author did a good job of placing all of the information into chapters that were not overbearing to read.
November 28, 2021
I loved reading this book although I often felt anger and sadness for Miss Crandall and her students while reading it. The pictures from this book help you further connect with the words and this period of time. This is a nonfiction book about a very passionate, and honest teacher who wants nothing but to teach African American females just as she had taught White females. She wanted them to get a good education but the people in her hometown, while reading this book you will see Miss Crandall fight for the education and rights for her students over and over. She is one of the bravest women of her time period. I could use this in my future classroom teaching about equal rights, and how so many people fought for the freedoms we are given today and how none of it came easy.
April 4, 2024
A well-told, well-documented bit of history I had never heard before. Beginning in 1831, this one woman's determination to help educate young women of color in the face of violent bigotry is a story in itself, but in its epilogue goes on to discuss things that have (and have not) changed during the nearly 2 centuries since, including both direct and indirect results of Prudence Randall's fight to keep her school open. I thoroughly enjoyed the narrative, the pictures of letters and portraits of people from the story, even short bios of many major and minor characters. I wish I'd had this book when I was homeschooling my kids. A great read for middle schoolers on!
February 14, 2018
This book left an impact on my life. I would definitely recommend reading it. Not just to learn about black history, but also to act as an encouragement to standfast in your decisions. To seek good advice (and to continue seeking), and then once you make up your mind to standfast, until there are no options left for you. It was good to see the goodness of others, folks prepared to help her to standfast, I loved seeing the bravery of her girls and observing the support of her family. Reading level is middle school and up.
April 22, 2019
The subject matter was very interesting. I enjoyed learning about Prudence Crandall and the struggles she endured to fight for her school and education of Black Americans. A strong and noble woman who found support in her family and a few friends! I wasn’t as impressed with the writing. It seemed there was speculation about feelings and smaller details. While understandable, it left me a little drawn aback to really immerse myself into the time and experiences occurring at the time. I would recommend the book based on content, just bot completely engaging how it was written.
September 12, 2021
I give this book 5 stars because it is a story, meticulously researched, that needs to be told. The heroine, Prudence Crandall, not only risked her life for girls who looked like me, but she lived a courageous life for any American woman, black or white, living in the antebellum U.S. This account also illustrates yet one more example of how our country needs to own up to disgraceful, unjust behavior towards its own people, both past and present. This book should not be hidden in children's collections!
November 10, 2017
Was a bit surprised that the volume was aimed at middle schoolers, seemingly, but read it any way. Some good information on abolitionism and the teaching of African American students in the North, in face of community opposition. I have a lot of respect for the "radicals" of their day and what they faced to change the world. I hope more students pick up the book and learn more about the struggles that opened opportunities, although many hurdles remained til desegregation and still remain.
November 22, 2017
I read this aloud to the Podlings, and we all learned a lot. It's a smooth, quick overview of the Crandall School incident written in a simple style to be easily digested by children. There are plenty of pictures and sketches to bring the narrative to life. While the epilogue notes positive changes that have taken place in the last century, the book ends with a call to further action. Recommended.
November 30, 2021
The Forbidden Schoolhouse tells the story of Prudence Crandall and her school for African American girls in Canterbury, Connecticut. A girl named Sarah Harris asked if she could sit in on Prudence’s classes with the white girls and this caused an uproar. An even bigger uproar came about when Prudence sent the white girls in the school home and said she would start the school back with only African American girls. People did whatever they could to stop it from happening. I am usually not a fan of non-fiction books, but this was an interesting read. I had never heard about Prudence Crandall and her school until I read this. I would recommend this book for ages 11 and older. This book can be used in a nonfiction literature circle like it was in my class or social studies teachers can use it to teach. It can be included in a lesson talking about segregation, how African Americans did not have the same rights as whites, and how schools were segregated dating back to the 1830s before the Civil War. This book is a valuable asset for teachers to include in social studies lessons when the topic arises.
November 3, 2017
This is a true story about a schoolteacher who starts an all African American school and faces adversity. I liked this book as it was nonfiction and it is a period that I am not as familiar with, pre-civil war. It was interesting to learn about the ways in which Connecticut were in the 1830s, and I enjoyed Prudence the main character who stood up for what she believed. This was a time where women did not have many rights, but she was a strong intelligent woman doing the commendable. I think this would be a terrific book for anyone who wants to learn more about history in a fluid way. Many history books can be dry, but I thought this one was easy to read and enjoyable. I would especially recommend this to kids, because a lot of kids can be reluctant to learn about history. I would read more like this because history is important, but not always as fun to learn.
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