Prudence Crandall

On May 24, 1833, the Connecticut General Assembly passed the Black Law expressly forbidding Prudence Crandall from recruiting African-American women for her school in Canterbury. Prudence refused to obey the Black Law and was arrested and jailed. Her case was taken up by the Abolition Movement to attract nationwide attention to the injustices of slavery and prejudice. After almost two years of legal struggles and harassment of her students, her conviction was overturned by the Connecticut Supreme Court meeting in this place, and in 1838 the Black Law was repealed here. Even so, Prudence was forced to close her school for fear of her student's safety. Toward the end of her life, the General Assembly meeting here awarded Prudence a pension to compensate her for the injustices done to her.

Hartford, Connecticut · United States