The Morrill Acts and Education

The University of Tennessee

The First Morrill Act of 1862 provided federal funds from the sale of public land to establish an endowment fund for land-grant colleges of agriculture and mechanical arts. It established at least one college in every state “accessible to all, but especially to the sons of toil.”

1866: Education [Statute]
Separate schools required for white and black children
1869: Barred school segregation [Statute]
While no citizen of Tennessee could be excluded from attending the University of Tennessee on account of his race or color, "the accommodation and instruction of persons of color shall be separate from those for white persons."
- See more at: http://www.blackpast.org/primary/jim-crow-laws-tennessee-1866-1955#sthash.6fuBUkZ8.dpuf

1866: Education [Statute]
Separate schools required for white and black children
1869: Barred school segregation [Statute]
While no citizen of Tennessee could be excluded from attending the University of Tennessee on account of his race or color, "the accommodation and instruction of persons of color shall be separate from those for white persons."
- See more at: http://www.blackpast.org/primary/jim-crow-laws-tennessee-1866-1955#sthash.6fuBUkZ8.dpuf

1866: Education [Statute]
Separate schools required for white and black children
1869: Barred school segregation [Statute]
While no citizen of Tennessee could be excluded from attending the University of Tennessee on account of his race or color, "the accommodation and instruction of persons of color shall be separate from those for white persons."
- See more at: http://www.blackpast.org/primary/jim-crow-laws-tennessee-1866-1955#sthash.6fuBUkZ8.dpu

The Second Morrill Act  was signed on August 30, 1890, and included the stipulation that African Americans were to be included in the United States Land-Grant University Higher Education System without discrimination. It further made provision that required states with separate colleges for Black and White citizens, to designate or establish a college to train Black students in agriculture, mechanical arts, and architecture as well

To comply with the 1890 Morrill act, the University of Tennessee established an Industrial Department at Knoxville College.

Clearly, the schools were separate, but they were not equal.

Knoxville College

1866: Education [Statute]
Separate schools required for white and black children
1869: Barred school segregation [Statute]
While no citizen of Tennessee could be excluded from attending the University of Tennessee on account of his race or color, "the accommodation and instruction of persons of color shall be separate from those for white persons."
1870: Education [Statute]
Schools for white and colored children to be kept separate.

1873: Education [Statute]
"White and colored persons shall not be taught in the same school, but in separate schools under the same general regulations as to management, usefulness and efficiency."

1901: Education [Statute] Unlawful for any school or college to permit white and colored persons to attend the same school. Penalty: $50 fine, or imprisonment from 30 days to six months, or both.

1925: Education [Statute]
Separate elementary and high schools to be maintained for white and Negro children.
1932: Race classification [State Code]
Classified "Negro" as any person with any Negro blood.
1932: Miscegenation [State Code]
Miscegenation declared a felony.
1932: Education [State Code]
Required racially segregated high schools.
(Source: Jim Crow Laws in Tennessee  Link)
 

Keeping house with 274,000 boarders: Feeding the troops in the Spanish- American War

Photo credit: Pictorial Atlas Illustrating the Spanish-American War: Comprising a History, Le Roy Armstrong, John W. Iliff & Company, 1899, p. 80

Feeding the troops

You remember where you bivouacked in the Dyer Field at the close of the first day's fight after twenty seven hours marching and fighting without a meal- bivouacked without fires when a white frost was settling down and with only a few crackers and scraps of bacon and pork which could not be cooked because the enemy's lines were too close to admit of fires. Well, in the days which tried the souls of the sensational journals in the Spanish War, just back of where you bivouacked the commissary department had a bakery with a capacity of 66,000 eighteen ounce loaves and every soldier and civilian employ in that army got a loaf of it every day if he wanted it, and it was as good bread as I ever care to see on my own table. If they preferred hardtack they got that. 

As to fresh meat seven days out of ten there were issued full rations of as good beef as ever came in refrigerator cars to the cities and towns of the North. Every quarter carried the tag of government inspection. There were 5,100,000 pounds of it issued there without the loss of a pound, except where some of it fell into the hands of regiments whose men did not know how to take care of fresh meat in hot weather, and whose officers did not know how to tell them. And let me say to you here, that in spite of all the sensational charges with which the humane and honest people of the country were driven wild, there never was a pound of embalmed beef issued to a single soldier of the Spanish War- not a pound for the good reason that the government never purchased a pound of beef that had been embalmed. I state this on my personal responsibility to substantiate the truth of what I say against anybody, of any rank.

For the other three days, the troops had bacon. If you suppose it was the "old sides" which we used to receive, sent down in freight cars stacked up like cord wood, you will make a mistake. It was family bacon in sealed tin cans such as you at the first class family groceries. Then there were three vegetable rations, extra potatoes, onions, and canned tomatoes. Each regiment could choose which it would have. It required eighteen car-loads of for each ten days' issue, and for hauling each issue of to the camp required 750 six-mule teams, and every of the ration was better than we ever saw in our soldier days. These are all facts. Yet the country was made to believe its soldiers were given spoiled food, and short rations even that.

As to canned beef and canned roast beef, the brand was same, and from the same firms as was used by the navy throughout the war, and as is being used now both by the army and in all our operations the world around. The English used this beef in Egypt, and is using it in South Africa. Of there were some spoiled cans, but the percentage was too small to express in appreciable figures. I doubt whether there is person here who has not known of spoiled canned goods in own house. It must be remembered that the War Department was keeping house with 274,000 boarders.

(Source: The Spanish-American War, Russell Alexander Alger,Harper & Bros., 1901)

 

Granny's Story

Photo Credtit: olle svensson, altered by Cyndy Cox Some rights reserved

 

There was an old Quaker woman who lived on the outskirts of town. Everyone knew her and everyone who knew her also loved her. She had touched the hearts of all the villagers. For over forty years, she had helped bring babies into this world, worked tirelessly to heal the sick and when nothing else could be done, she would sit beside the dying and try to give them comfort.

One day, a bank robber was hiding out in the woods near her house. The police were searching for him because he had killed a bank guard just the day before. He was desperate because he knew that a posse was on on his trail.

It was too risky to approach the house in the day, so he climbed a tree, where he could hide from the the posse and still keep an eye on the house. When evening came, and he was sure that Granny was alone, he approached the door. When Granny heard the knock, she did not hesitate to answer because it might be a friend or neighbor in need of her help, but when she saw the young man, she knew immediately who he was. He pushed his way in and demanded food and bandages for his injured arm. Even through she was frightened, the old lady did not hesitate. She put some food on the old stove to heat, picked up her doctoring bag and walked straight to the the young man.

After the robber man was fed and his arm was bandaged, he began to worry that someone else might stop by in need of help. Granny would be able to give them details of his injury and she would put him in danger of being caught. He began to think that it might be best to kill her. He could easily strangle her and not even waste a bullet. The more he thought about it, the better it sounded. He had already shot one man, who was most likely dead by now, so one more wouldn't make much difference. All this time, Granny sat quietly at the table. He looked at her face and she showed no fear. As he got up from the table, Granny started to speak quietly, "You have been in my house for several hours. I have bandaged your arm and you have eaten the food that I prepared for me. If you try to choke me, you will breathe in my last breath. My soul will reside in you. You cannot escape that." The man stopped, stunned by both her words and her unseemly calm demeanor. He looked straight at her for more than a minute, then he turned and bolted out the door-not even closing it behind him.

What the young man did not realize was that he had left part of his spirit in Granny as well. A couple of days later, Granny became very ill. She was confined to bed and could not seem to catch her breath. My Momma and I had stopped by to take her some apples and when she did not answer the door, we went in to leave the apples on the table, thinking that Granny must be out caring for one of our neighbors. This is how we found her, lying on the bed, unable to get up or catch her breath. Momma went straight to the kitchen to make some hot tea with honey and a poultice for her chest. When Momma came back, she did what she could and then she told me to stay with Granny while she went for the doctor.

When Momma left, I was scared and did not know what to do. Please don't let Granny die, please don't let Granny die while I am alone with her. As if she could read my thoughts, the old lady turned to me and said, "This will pass shortly." I sat quietly beside her until Momma came back with the doctor and his wife, then Momma and I went on home.

When Momma sent me back to check on Granny, I found that she was much improved. This is when she told me the story about the robber. Granny said that the robber was dead and that she knew he was because he was the reason that she became sick. Because his spirit was in her, she could feel him struggling to breathe and when his struggle subsided, Granny knew that the young man was dead. The next week, there was a story in the paper that the said the robber had drown trying to swim across the river in the next county.

She never told another soul and neither did I. —

 

The Rheatown Stamp

DEAR SIR:

Yours of the 29th inst is at hand, As I happen to have the stamp alluded to, I inclose one for your benefit. It was used by me expressly for the Rheatown office, from about August, 1861, to midsummer 1862, until Confederate stamps were distributed for general use.

These stamps were used merely as a convenience during the absence of Government stamps, and of course were only received at the Rheatown office in payment of postage. All letters bearing it were billed "paid in money, 5 cents." The inconvenience of country people sending money by servants and children to pay postage, and the remarkable scarcity of small change at that time, were the principal objects for procuring this stamp                                Yours truly,

Rheatown, Tenn                                                          D. PENCE 

(Source: Confederate Veteran: Published Monthly in the Interest of Confederate Veterans and Kindred Topics, Volume 2, Broadfoot Publishing Company, 1894, p. 78)