Letters+from+Shaw

July 16, 1865 Aberdeen, North Carolina

Dear Diary,

At last the war is over! It has been strange, living in the South while praying for a Northern victory. I have a feeling many great changes are headed our way. I hope the Thirteenth Amendment for abolition, which was passed earlier this year, will be adopted soon. I have so many dreams that are bigger than what we are legally capable of doing. I bought my freedom years ago, but to what avail? Unable to get a professional job or education, I am barely making ends meet as a blacksmith. My dream is to become a professor, perhaps of philosophy or religion. As for now, I can only look forward to the slow progress being made by this country. I often wish I lived in Connecticut with the rest of our family. If my wife’s parents weren’t settled here, I’d pack up and leave tomorrow.

Martin

December 21, 1865 Aberdeen, North Carolina

Dear Diary,

Hallelujah, my prayers have been answered! The Thirteenth Amendment has been instituted for fifteen days now. It is so strange to see so many former slaves walking freely on the streets. Before anyone starts to think things have ended happily ever after, I must tell you that the living conditions aren’t great. Just the other day, I witnessed a former plantation owner spit right on his former slave’s wife. The treatment of the former slaves is just appalling. Not to mention that many are struggling to make ends meet. One of my new buddies, David, claims he’d rather still be enslaved with a bed, food, and a reasonably kind master. I am still optimistic that things will improve with time.

On a happier note, even more exciting news! The first African American college in the South opened twenty days ago. A former Union Army chaplain named Dr. Henry Tupper traveled to Raleigh aiming to form a school to train African American church leaders. He started holding theological classes on the first of this month in the Eagle hotel. I am looking into enrolling, as this could potentially coincide with my dream of teaching religion. There is a meeting this week with some organization called the Freedmen’s Bureau; I don't really know all the details about them yet. Word is, they are trying to help get us former slaves that live out here in the country educated and involved in politics. I know I’m a dreamer, but these guys are even more daring! I guess it’s worth hearing them out though.

Martin

January 8, 1966 Raleigh, North Carolina

Dear Diary,

So much has changed since I've last written! First of all, you’ll notice the change in my address. I am now boarding with a couple that lives in Raleigh on Edenton Street, which is convenient because the Eagle hotel is right down the road. I do handiwork and repairs around the house in exchange for a small attic room and food. If you’re wondering why I left Aberdeen, it is because I have joined Dr. Tupper’s school! He is such an inspiration and continuously pushes me to reach for something greater. Dr. Tupper has been saving money to build a real place for us to learn. Though difficult, I hope I can continue on in this journey. I miss my wife greatly, but she is so proud that her husband attends university! Well, I’m conducting a lesson on the New Testament tomorrow, so I need to go prepare my notes. I will keep you updated.

Martin

October 31, 1866 Raleigh, North Carolina

Dear Diary,

Well, he did it! Dr. Tupper used $500 he saved to build a two-story wooden building! One story serves as a Baptist church; the other is now known as “Tupper’s Raleigh Theological Institute.” We had our first class here on the 15th. I hear rumors that women will soon be allowed to take classes here. That would make Tupper’s Raleigh Theological Institute the first to serve women in the South. Though gradual, things are slowly getting better. I can see this university, which is the third oldest in this state, becoming more prominent and producing future leaders of our country.

My wife finally gave in and has moved to Raleigh with me. We are both working odd jobs in hopes to one day get an apartment of our own. We plan on visiting our family in Conneticut for Christmas. I can’t wait to tell them all I’ve learned at this great new university.

Martin

__Pedagogical Application__: After reading these letters, I would ask students if they had any idea as to which school I was referring. Students could then reserach Shaw University and make a timeline from its creation to today. They could use the internet to get information and a website such as [|www.xtimeline.com] to chart the dates. We could also research specific people who attended Shaw and create a news bulletin of their acheivements. It would be awesome if we could take a trip to Shaw University, even though it has been renamed and greatly expanded since the diary entries. This would tie in nicely with the end of the Civil War, discussing abolition and the Thirteenth Amendment, and introducing the fight for civil rights. We rode the Raleigh Trolley to Shaw in one of my past education classes and I still remember the beautiful campus and learning about the rich history. After this lesson, students would better understand the transition between the Thirteenth Amendment to African Americans attempting to create a better world to live in freely. They would also understand the difficulties faced and appreciate the triumphs of the founders and first attendees of African American universities. Finally, students would understand the role this school still plays today.