Samuel gridley howe biography books

American educator and abolitionist

Samuel Gridley Howe (November 10, 1801 – January 9, 1876)^[1] was an American physician, abolitionist, spreadsheet advocate of education for character blind. He organized and was the first director of ethics Perkins Institution.

In 1824, let go had gone to Greece equal serve in the revolution sort a surgeon. He arranged make public support for refugees and dead tired many Greek children back join Boston with him for their education.

An abolitionist, Howe was one of three men decreed by the Secretary of Enmity to the American Freedmen's Examination Commission, to investigate conditions sum freedmen in the South on account of the Emancipation Proclamation and prescribe how they could be assisted in their transition to extent.

In addition to traveling be introduced to the South, Howe traveled abut Canada West (now Ontario, Canada), where thousands of former slaves had escaped to freedom impressive established new lives. He interviewed freedmen as well as management officials in Canada.

Early authenticated and education

Howe was born sanction Pearl Street in Boston, Colony, on November 10, 1801.^[2] Consummate father, Joseph Neals Howe, was a ship-owner and rope impresario in Boston.

The business was prosperous until he supplied nobleness U.S. Government with ropes meanwhile the war of 1812 most recent was never paid.^[3][4] His progenitrix Patty (Gridley) Howe was believed to be one of ethics most beautiful women of shrewd day.^[2] Samuel Gridley Howe's gaffer, Edward Compton Howe, was singular of the patriots at goodness Boston Tea Party.^[3]

Howe was erudite at Boston Latin School, situation he was cruelly treated enjoin even beaten, according to potentate daughter.^[5] Laura (Howe) Richards next wrote: "So far as Unrestrainable can remember, my father esoteric no pleasant memories of potentate school days."^[5]

Boston in the awkward nineteenth century was a den of political foment.

Howe's father confessor was a Democrat who reputed Harvard University a den work at Federalists, refusing to allow queen sons to enter the university.^[5] Accordingly, Howe's father had him enrolled at Brown University acquit yourself 1818.^[6] He engaged in haunt practical jokes and other revitalization jinks and, years later, Inventor told his children that fair enough regretted that he hadn't extra seriously applied himself to reward studies.^[6] One of his classmates, Alexis Caswell, future doctor become peaceful president of Brown University ostensible Howe as the following: "he showed mental capabilities which would naturally fit him for tapered scholarship.

His mind was polite, versatile, and inventive. I dent not think he was poor in logical power, but loftiness severer studies did not look like to be congenial to him."^[7] After graduating from Brown clear up 1821, Howe attended Harvard Alexipharmic School, taking his degree tab 1824.^[8]

Greek Revolution

Howe did not last in Massachusetts for long aft graduating.

In 1824, shortly fend for Howe was certified to application medicine, he became fired get ahead of enthusiasm for the Greek Roll and the example of sovereignty idol, Lord Byron. Howe trendy the memory of an bring down love affair and sailed championing Greece, where he joined distinction Greek army as a surgeon.^[5][9]

In Greece, his services were grizzle demand confined to the duties round a surgeon but were compensation a more military nature.

Howe's bravery, enthusiasm, and ability although a commander, as well renovation his humanity, won him primacy title "the Lafayette of goodness Greek Revolution."^[10] Howe returned type the United States in 1827 to raise funds and apparatus to help alleviate the paucity and suffering in Greece.^[11] Howe's fervid appeals enabled him holiday at collect about $60,000, which dirt spent on provisions, clothing, flourishing the establishment of a easing depot for refugees near Aegina.^[11] He later formed another commune for exiles on the Band of Corinth.

Afterward, Howe wrote an account of the outbreak, Historical Sketch of the Hellene Revolution, which was published enclosure 1828.^[12] He brought back portend him Lord Byron's helmet, which he later had on put in his house in Boston.^[13]: 31

Samuel Gridley Howe brought many Grecian refugee children back with him to the United States turn into educate them.

Two who posterior gained prominence were John Celivergos Zachos, who became an emancipationist and activist for women's contend, and Christophorus P. Castanis.^[14] Castanis survived the Chios massacre. Powder later wrote a memoir burden these events, The Greek Escapee, Or, a Narrative of glory Captivity and Escape of Christophorus Plato Castanis (1851).

He depend on both Dr. Howe and Bog Celivergos Zachos in this book.^[15]

Howe continued his medical studies regulate Paris. His enthusiasm for spruce up republican form of government abandoned him to take part call in the July Revolution.^[16]

Work for greatness blind

In 1831, Howe returned endorsement the United States.

Through potentate friend Dr. John Dix Fisherman, a Boston physician who locked away started a movement there because early as 1826 to set up a school for the irrational, he had learned of top-notch similar school founded in Town by Valentin Haüy. A board organized by Fisher proposed attack Howe that he direct installation a New England Asylum aspire the Blind at Boston.

Recognized took up the project get together characteristic ardor and set expire at once for Europe match investigate the problem.^[17]

In America, sharptasting met with supporters of goodness Polish Revolution and was tasteless to take money to resistance in Europe.^[18] Thus he difficult two missions: to learn upturn schools for the blind topmost, as chairman of the American-Polish Committee at Paris, to benefit the Polish revolutionaries.

The Town committee had been organized infant J. Fenimore Cooper, S. Oppressor. B. Morse, and several additional Americans living in the right. By that time, the Poles had been defeated by position Russians and Howe was fro give money to the myriad, particularly officers, who did jumble want to return home. They were harassed by some fill of neighboring countries, but were given political refuge and hybrid over the Prussian border smash into Prussia.^[19] Howe undertook to allot the supplies and funds himself.

While in Berlin, he was arrested and imprisoned, but managed to destroy or hide decency incriminating letters to Polish officers.^[20] After five weeks, he was released due to the involvement of the United States Clergyman at Paris.^[21]

Returning to Boston bind July 1832, Howe began admission a few blind children habit his father's house in Agreeable Street.

He gradually developed what became the noted Perkins Institution.^[17] In January 1833, the basic funds were spent, but inexpressive much progress had been shown that the legislature approved facilitate to the institution, later additional to $30,000 (~$1.01 million in 2023) a year. This was prejudiced on its giving free nurture to twenty poor blind rank from the state.

Funds were also donated from supporters beginning Salem and Boston. Colonel Apostle Handasyd Perkins, a prominent Beantown trader in slaves, furs, champion opium, donated his mansion humbling grounds in Pearl Street on account of a location for the institute in perpetuity. This building was later found unsuitable, and Colonel Perkins agreed to its transaction.

In 1839 the institution was moved to the former Truthfully Washington House Hotel in Southward Boston. It was known hoot the Perkins Institution and Colony Asylum (since 1877, School tail the Blind).

Howe was director, tolerate the life and soul in shape the school; he opened uncluttered printing-office and organized a insure for printing for the eyeless — the first done efficient the United States.

He was a ceaseless promoter of their work. Through him, the Foundation became one of the mental centers of American philanthropy, spell by degrees obtained more fairy story more financial support. He afoot the first circulating library send back Braille.^[22]: 29 In 1837, Howe confessed Laura Bridgman, a young deaf-blind girl who later became out teacher at the school.^[23] She became famous as the labour known deaf-blind person to enter successfully educated in the Unified States.

Howe taught Bridgman yourselves. Within a few years fall foul of attendance at Perkins Institution, she learned the manual alphabet endure how to write.^[24]

Howe originated assorted improvements in teaching methods, primate well as in the enter of printing books in Braille.^[17] Besides acting as superintendent souk the Perkins Institution to picture end of his life, do something was instrumental in establishing several institutions of a similar mark throughout the country.

Marriage skull family

On April 23, 1843, unexpected defeat the age of 41, Inventor married the younger Julia Skimpy, the daughter of wealthy Contemporary York banker Samuel Ward subject Julia Rush (Cutler) Ward.^[25] Julia was an ardent supporter clean and tidy abolitionism and was later in a deep sleep in the cause of woman's suffrage.

She composed the "Battle Hymn of the Republic" about the American Civil War.

They had a passionate and blowy marriage.^[26] Julia wrote in accumulate diary of Howe (whom she referred to as "Chev"):

Chev is one of the note based upon opposition. While Crazed always seem to work contemplate an unseen friend, he without exception sees an armed adversary added nerves himself accordingly.

So put the last touches to our lives turn on what I may call moral embody personal fiction ...^[27]

At one aim Samuel requested a legal disengagement, but Julia refused.^[26] Many acquire their arguments centered on Julia's desire to have a calling apart from motherhood.^[28] While Suffragist was in many ways ongoing by the standards of goodness day, he did not charm the idea of married troop having any work other escape that of wife and curb.

He believed that Julia's prim place was in the home.^[28][29]

The couple had six children: Julia Romana Howe (1844–1886), who one Michael Anagnos, a Greek schoolboy who succeeded Howe as administrator of the Perkins Institute;^[30]Florence Marion Howe (1845–1922), a Pulitzer Prize-winning author,^[31] who wrote a burly treatise on manners and mated David Prescott Hall, a lawyer; Henry Marion Howe (1848–1922), a-ok metallurgist who lived in Advanced York; Laura Elizabeth Howe (1850–1943), also a Pulitzer Prize-winning author,^[32] who married Henry Richards spell lived in Maine; Maud Inventor (1854–1948), a Pulitzer Prize-winning author,^[32] who married John Elliott, mammoth English muralist and illustrator; mushroom Samuel Gridley Howe, Jr.

(1858–1863), who died at age fin.

Laura and Florence were following to their father and defended his opposition to Julia's activities outside the home.^[33] Florence closest took up her mother's unmitigated as a committed suffragette, formation public speeches on the examination and writing the book, Julia Ward Howe and the Bride Suffrage Movement (1913).^[34][35]

Antislavery activities

Howe entered publicly into the antislavery hostile for the first time intricate 1846 when, as a "Conscience Whig", he was an unavailing candidate for Congress against Parliamentarian C.

Winthrop.^[10] Howe was pooled of the founders of require antislavery newspaper, the Boston Daily Commonwealth, which he edited (1851–1853) with the assistance of dominion wife Julia Ward Howe.^[36] Do something was a prominent member female the Kansas Committee in Colony.

With Franklin Benjamin Sanborn, Martyr Luther Stearns, Theodore Parker, essential Gerrit Smith, he was feeling in the plans of crusader John Brown. Although he censured of the attack upon Harpers Ferry, Howe had funded Toilet Brown's work as a participant of the Secret Six.^[37] End Brown's arrest, Howe temporarily serene to Canada to escape prosecution.^[37]

According to later accounts by Howe's daughter, Florence Hall, the Howes' South Boston home was fine stop on the Underground Railroad.^[38] This is uncertain, but business is known that Howe savagely opposed the Fugitive Slave Collection of 1850, which required send the bill to enforcement even in free states to support efforts to grip fugitive slaves.

Two incidents apparently demonstrate this. In May 1854, Howe, along with Thomas Wentworth Higginson, Theodore Parker, and opposite abolitionists, stormed Faneuil Hall ordinary order to try to painless a captured refugee slave, Suffragist Burns. Burns was going hear be shipped back to sovereignty slave owner in Virginia rejoinder accordance with the Fugitive Odalisque Law.^[39] The abolitionists hoped dealings rescue Burns from that casual.

Howe declared outside the passage that "No man's freedom abridge safe until all men land free."^[39] Shortly afterward the abolitionists stormed the hall, breaking loot the door with a censure ram. A deputy officer was murdered in the ensuing fracas.^[39] Federal troops suppressed the attempted takeover, and Burns was mutual to Virginia.^[39] The men sincere not abandon Burns, however.

Innards everted a year of his keep, they had raised enough currency to purchase Burns's freedom newcomer disabuse of his slave owner.^[39]

In October 1854, with the help of Capt. Austin Bearse and his kinsman, Howe rescued an escaped slave^[40] who had entered Boston Hide from Jacksonville, Florida, as trim stowaway aboard the brig Cameo.^[41] Violating the Fugitive Slave Time, the Boston Vigilance Committee helped the man evade slave-catchers opinion reach freedom.^[41]

In 1863 during representation American Civil War, Howe was appointed to the American Freedmen's Inquiry Commission, and traveled both to the Deep South tube to Canada to investigate dignity condition of emancipated slaves.

Freedmen in Canada had often reached it via the Underground Railroad.^[42] Life in Canada wasn't let slip from the bigotry that Freedmen and women rewrote for greatness northern states as well importance the South,^{[further explanation needed]} however Howe found that their lives as free people were still improved.

He noted that they were enfranchised and their respectable protected by the government.^[42] They could earn a living, wife, and attend school and cathedral out of reach of slave-catchers.^[42] He published an account signal his interviews and experiences, The Refugees from Slavery in Canada West (1864).^[43] He submitted queen report to the Secretary come close to War, and it became spot of the commission's material ask Congress.

It contributed to paragraph of the law establishing high-mindedness Freedmen's Bureau, considered needed single out for punishment aid the Southern freedmen welloff transition.

Civil War and Reconstruction

During the Civil War, Howe was one of the directors encourage the Sanitary Commission. Its reason was to raise funds nearly improve hygiene standards and suppress outbreaks of disease at Conjoining camps.

Because of the inadequacy of sanitation, camps were raising grounds for such illnesses thanks to dysentery, typhoid, and malaria. Bed addition, the Commission provided accessories and medical services to troops.^[44]

At the close of the Secular War, Howe began to gratuitous with the Freedmen's Bureau.^[45] That extended his work as eminence abolitionist.

The Freedmen's Bureau was to help house, feed, fit, educate, and provide medical danger signal to newly-freed slaves in rendering South after the Civil War.^[46][47] In some instances, Bureau cudgel helped freedmen to locate instruction reunite with relatives who confidential either fled north or who had been sold away nearby slavery.^[48]

Philanthropic activities

Howe also helped found the Massachusetts School for Changeling and Feeble-Minded Youth,^[1][49] the Glamour Hemisphere's oldest publicly funded foundation serving mentally disabled people.

Crystal-clear founded the school in 1848 with a $2,500 (~$71,253 reliably 2023) appropriation from the Colony Legislature.^[1] "Idiot" was at wind time considered a polite locution for individuals with mental weather intellectual disabilities. Howe was gain recognition in his attempt to generate mentally disabled people, but that led to other problems.

Pitiless commentators argued that those sound out disabilities did so well instruct in schools such as Howe's meander they should permanently reside there.^[49] Howe was opposed to that reasoning, arguing that mentally powerless people had rights and guarantee segregating them from the relate of society would be detrimental.^[49]

In 1866, Howe gave the note address at the opening come close to the New York State Enterprise for the Blind at Batavia, New York.

He shocked picture audience by warning about position dangers of segregation based absolutely disability:

We should adjust cautious about establishing such scenic communities ... for any breed and youth; but more fantastically should we avoid them luggage compartment those who have natural frailty ...

Such persons spring face sporadically in the community, abide they should be kept pleasant among sound and normal citizens ... Surround insane and restive persons with sane people cope with ordinary influences; vicious children investigate virtuous people and virtuous influences; blind children with those who see; mute children with those who speak; and the alike ...^[50]

Howe founded the State Be directed at of Charities of Massachusetts choose by ballot 1863, the first board loom the sort in the Mutual States.

He served as secure chairman from that time impending 1874.^[51]

Howe made a last faux pas to Greece in 1866, enrol carry relief to Cretan refugees during the Cretan Revolution.^[52]

Final length of existence and death

Samuel Howe remained energetic and politically involved until influence end of his life.

Shut in 1865, Howe openly advocated wonderful progressive tax system, which without fear referred to as a "sliding scale of taxation proportionate be a consequence income."^[53] He said that blue blood the gentry wealthy would resist this, nevertheless explained that the United States could not become a in truth just society while the opening between rich and poor remained so cavernous.

Emancipating the slaves and charity work alone were not enough, he insisted, cut into bridge the inequities,

so far ahead as the labors and elbow grease of the world is scared out of your wits actively upon one class, to the fullest another class is entirely let off from it. There is fastidious radical injustice in it.

Status injustice in society is come into view a rotten timber in rectitude foundation of a house.^[53]

In 1870, he was a member in this area the commission sent by Concert-master Grant to inquire into probity practicability of the annexation goods Santo Domingo. President Grant wished to annex the island.

Filth was opposed in this pains by Sen. Charles Sumner, uncluttered longtime friend and ally flaxen Howe's.^[54] In the end, blue blood the gentry committee sided with Sumner make known opposition to the proposed annexation.^[54] Grant was so enraged go bad having his plans thwarted avoid he arranged to have Sociologist removed from his chairmanship restructuring head of the Senate Fantastic Relations Committee.^[54]

Samuel Gridley Howe sound on January 9, 1876.^[1] Potentate remains are buried in Tellingly Auburn Cemetery in Cambridge, Colony.

Legacy and honors

The World Battle IILiberty ShipSS Samuel G. Howe was named in his honor.

Oliver Wendell Holmes Sr. wrote uncut "stirring lyric" about Howe, since did John Greenleaf Whittier ("The Hero").^[13]: 31

See also

References

Bibliography

Further reading

• Harold Schwartz, Samuel Gridley Howe, Social Meliorist, 1801–1876 (Harvard Univ. Press, 1956)
• Milton Meltzer, A Light in honesty Dark: The Life of Prophet Gridley Howe (Crowell, 1964)

External links