EDUCATION PROHIBITED.

The Slave not being regarded as a member of Society, nor as a human being, the
Government, instead of providing for his education, takes care to forbid it, as being
inconsistent with the condition of chattelhood.

     CHATTELS are not educated! And if human beings are to be held in chattelhood, education
must be withheld from them.

     South Carolina.—Act of 1740: “Whereas, the having slaves taught to write, or suffering them
to be employed in writing, may be attended with great inconveniences; Be it enacted, that all and
every person and persons whatsoever, who shall hereafter teach or cause any slave or slaves to
be taught to write, or shall use or employ any slave as a scribe, in any manner of writing
whatsoever, hereafter taught to write, every such person or persons shall, for every such offense,
forfeit the sum of one hundred pounds, current money.” (2 Brevard’s Digest, 243 )

     Georgia, similar; penalty, twenty pounds. (Prince’s Dig., 445.)

     Besides the State laws, the corporate towns and cities frequently have ordinances on the
subject. As for example, in Savannah, in 1818, the public journals announced as follows:

     “The City has passed an ordinance by which any person that teaches any person of color,
slave or free, to read or write, or causes such persons to be so taught, is subjected to a fine of
thirty dollars for each offense; and every person of color who shall keep a school to teach
reading or writing is subject to a fine of thirty dollars, or to be imprisoned ten days, and whipped
thirty-nine lashes!”

     “In North Carolina, to teach a slave to read or write, or sell or give him any book [Bible not
excepted] or pamphlet, is punished with thirty-nine lashes, or imprisonment, if the offender be a
free negro; but if a white, then with a fine of $200. The reason for this law, assigned in its
preamble, is, that

teaching slaves to read and write tends to dissatisfaction in their minds, and to produce
insurrection and rebellion.’” (Jay’s Inquiry, p. 136.) This was enacted in 1831. (Vide Child’s
Appeal.)

     “In Georgia, if a white teach a free negro or slave to write, he is fined $500, and imprisoned at
the discretion of the Court; if the offender be a colored man, bond or free, he may be fined or
whipped, at the discretion of the Court. Of course, a father may be flogged for teaching his own
child. This barbarous law was enacted in 1829.” (Ib.)

     “In Louisiana, the penalty for teaching slaves to read and write is one year’s imprisonment.”