During the brutal era of chattel slavery in the United States, slave owners viewed literacy as a direct threat to the institution of slavery. They feared it could empower their slaves to pursue freedom, access abolitionist literature, or organize rebellions. As a result, education for enslaved Africans was not only discouraged but made illegal. The consequences for attempting to teach them were severe, often involving fines, physical punishment, or imprisonment. By the mid-1800s, Southern states extended this ban to free blacks, ensuring that Black literacy remained dangerously low.
The education of Black children during this period was so risky that educators risked mob violence. In many cases, the mere attempt to teach Black children led to violent repercussions from white communities. One notable example is the case of Noyes Academy in Canaan, New Hampshire. In 1835, the academy admitted Black students, leading to fierce opposition from the local community. White residents, outraged by the integration of Black students, destroyed the school, symbolizing the extreme lengths to which some would go to maintain racial segregation and prevent Black education. Another example is the Canterbury Boarding School for Black girls, which was destroyed by a white mob in 1834.
Despite such violent opposition, figures like Jane Deveaux emerged as beacons of hope. She ran an underground school in Savannah, Georgia, for over three decades, continuing the struggle for Black education despite the constant threat of violence and punishment.
Jane Deveaux was born in Savannah in 1810 to Catherine and John Deveaux. Her father, a former slave, became a respected church leader, while her mother was a free woman of Antiguan descent. Recognizing the transformative power of education, her parents ensured that Jane received formal schooling in the North, where Black children could pursue learning with fewer restrictions.
Returning to Savannah as a young woman, Jane chose to use her education to uplift her community, by teaching enslaved and free Black children to read. Together, Jane and her mother Catherine conducted secret lessons in their home and local churches, defying the oppressive laws that sought to keep enslaved africans illiterate and powerless and risking severe punishment.
In the 1830s, Jane Deveaux established her secret school in Savannah, making it one of the longest-running institutions of its kind in the United States. For over thirty years, her school operated under the constant threat of discovery, as teaching both free and enslaved Africans was punishable by heavy fines, public lashings, and other brutal measures.
Jane, who officially listed her occupation as a “pastry cook,” used this guise to protect herself from suspicion. Despite frequent raids on similar schools, Jane’s resourcefulness and the dedication of her students ensured the survival of her own school. To maintain secrecy, her students carried their books hidden in buckets or paper bags, pretending to run errands.
Jane’s work did not pause even during the Civil War. When Confederate authorities commandeered her sewing skills to produce uniforms, she secretly continued teaching black children in defiance of the law.
After the Civil War and the abolition of slavery, Jane Deveaux’s reputation as an educator flourished. With Black education becoming more accessible during Reconstruction, she continued teaching, often with classes of over thirty-five students. Her early efforts contributed to Savannah achieving a higher literacy rate among its Black population than many other Southern cities, as noted by the Freedmen’s Bureau.
Jane Deveaux’s commitment to education not only empowered her students but also paved the way for future generations of Black educators and leaders.
Jane Deveaux passed away on June 12, 1885, leaving behind a legacy of courage, bold disobedience, and an unwavering belief in the power of education.
Sources:
https://www.freemansrag.com/historical-ruminations/all-in-the-family
