United States History Student Edition

This engraving of an African American man working in a barbershop in Richmond, Virginia, was made in 1853. Free African Americans worked as barbers and in other trades at this time, although it is unknown whether the man pictured here was free or enslaved.

In the early 1800s, there were no statewide public school systems in the South. People who could afford to do so sent their children to private schools. By the mid-1800s, however, education was growing. North Carolina and Kentucky set up and ran public schools. The South lagged behind other parts of the country in literacy (LIH•tuh•ruh•see), the ability to read and write. One reason was that the South was thinly populated. A school would have to serve a wide area, and many families were unwilling or unable to send children great distances to school. Many Southerners also believed education was a private matter. 7 CHECK FOR UNDERSTANDING 1. Explaining Why were there no statewide public school systems in the South by the mid-1800s?

2. Identifying Cause and Effect What factors were related to the growth of the South’s largest cities?

LESSON ACTIVITIES 1. Informative/Explanatory Writing Write an essay explaining why culture, family, and religion were such important parts of the enslaved African American community. 2. Analyzing Information With a partner, research the 10 largest Southern cities in 1850. Identify ways that they were similar and ways that they were different. Then create a chart to compare and contrast them. Include population information and other details about each city. How did these factors affect the growth and economic development of these cities?

literacy the ability to read and write 386

“Barber Shop, Richmond, Virginia, 1853”, Slavery Images: A Visual Record of the African Slave Trade and Slave Life in the Early African Diaspora, accessed June 15, 2020, http://slaveryimages.org/s/slaveryimages/item/2724