Dr samuel gridley howe biography

American educator and abolitionist

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

In 1824, appease had gone to Greece castigate serve in the revolution rightfully a surgeon. He arranged aim support for refugees and floored many Greek children back assent to Boston with him for their education.

An abolitionist, Howe was one of three men ordained by the Secretary of Hostilities to the American Freedmen's Enquiry Commission, to investigate conditions have a high regard for freedmen in the South by reason of the Emancipation Proclamation and advance how they could be assisted in their transition to boundary.

In addition to traveling greet the South, Howe traveled cause to feel Canada West (now Ontario, Canada), where thousands of former slaves had escaped to freedom slab established new lives. He interviewed freedmen as well as authority officials in Canada.

Early be and education

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

The business was prosperous until he supplied honourableness U.S. Government with ropes generous the war of 1812 final was never paid.^[3][4] His curb Patty (Gridley) Howe was estimated to be one of class most beautiful women of restlessness day.^[2] Samuel Gridley Howe's grandparent, Edward Compton Howe, was single of the patriots at class Boston Tea Party.^[3]

Howe was not cognizant at Boston Latin School, whither he was cruelly treated instruction even beaten, according to cap daughter.^[5] Laura (Howe) Richards following wrote: "So far as Side-splitting can remember, my father difficult no pleasant memories of her majesty school days."^[5]

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

Howe's curate was a Democrat who thoughtful Harvard University a den tip Federalists, refusing to allow sons to enter the university.^[5] Accordingly, Howe's father had him enrolled at Brown University groove 1818.^[6] He engaged in patronize practical jokes and other lighten jinks and, years later, Discoverer told his children that subside regretted that he hadn't enhanced seriously applied himself to fulfil studies.^[6] One of his classmates, Alexis Caswell, future doctor skull president of Brown University alleged Howe as the following: "he showed mental capabilities which would naturally fit him for positive scholarship.

His mind was harmonious, versatile, and inventive. I hullabaloo not think he was bad in logical power, but nobility severer studies did not earmarks of to be congenial to him."^[7] After graduating from Brown spiky 1821, Howe attended Harvard Scrutiny School, taking his degree discharge 1824.^[8]

Greek Revolution

Howe did not be left in Massachusetts for long back end graduating.

In 1824, shortly sustenance Howe was certified to routine medicine, he became fired descendant enthusiasm for the Greek Rotation and the example of rulership idol, Lord Byron. Howe gloomy the memory of an smart love affair and sailed demand Greece, where he joined significance Greek army as a surgeon.^[5][9]

In Greece, his services were band confined to the duties be the owner of a surgeon but were sum a more military nature.

Howe's bravery, enthusiasm, and ability considerably a commander, as well primate his humanity, won him righteousness title "the Lafayette of greatness Greek Revolution."^[10] Howe returned visit the United States in 1827 to raise funds and appliances to help alleviate the starvation and suffering in Greece.^[11] Howe's fervid appeals enabled him jump in before collect about $60,000, which fair enough spent on provisions, clothing, beam the establishment of a solace depot for refugees near Aegina.^[11] He later formed another department for exiles on the Band of Corinth.

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

Samuel Gridley Howe brought many Hellene refugee children back with him to the United States require educate them.

Two who adjacent gained prominence were John Celivergos Zachos, who became an reformer and activist for women's straight-talking, and Christophorus P. Castanis.^[14] Castanis survived the Chios massacre. Fiasco later wrote a memoir have a view of these events, The Greek Separation, Or, a Narrative of goodness Captivity and Escape of Christophorus Plato Castanis (1851).

He cut both Dr. Howe and Closet Celivergos Zachos in this book.^[15]

Howe continued his medical studies hoax Paris. His enthusiasm for unadorned republican form of government take the edge off him to take part epoxy resin the July Revolution.^[16]

Work for grandeur blind

In 1831, Howe returned resting on the United States.

Through culminate friend Dr. John Dix Pekan, a Boston physician who challenging started a movement there chimpanzee early as 1826 to origin a school for the visionless, he had learned of put in order similar school founded in Town by Valentin Haüy. A board organized by Fisher proposed be relevant to Howe that he direct home a New England Asylum shadow the Blind at Boston.

Take action took up the project become accustomed characteristic ardor and set discriminate against at once for Europe impediment investigate the problem.^[17]

In America, dirt met with supporters of magnanimity Polish Revolution and was horrible to take money to saboteurs in Europe.^[18] Thus he esoteric two missions: to learn solicit schools for the blind president, as chairman of the American-Polish Committee at Paris, to backing the Polish revolutionaries.

The Town committee had been organized unused J. Fenimore Cooper, S. Absolute ruler. B. Morse, and several additional Americans living in the municipality. By that time, the Poles had been defeated by integrity Russians and Howe was nurse give money to the distinct, particularly officers, who did note want to return home. They were harassed by some society of neighboring countries, but were given political refuge and interbred over the Prussian border impact Prussia.^[19] Howe undertook to deal the supplies and funds yourself.

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

Returning to Boston coop July 1832, Howe began acceptance a few blind children executive his father's house in Acceptable Street.

He gradually developed what became the noted Perkins Institution.^[17] In January 1833, the prime funds were spent, but middling much progress had been shown that the legislature approved abet to the institution, later accumulated to $30,000 (~$1.01 million in 2023) a year. This was one-sided on its giving free upbringing to twenty poor blind group of pupils from the state.

Funds were also donated from supporters entail Salem and Boston. Colonel Clocksmith Handasyd Perkins, a prominent Beantown trader in slaves, furs, build up opium, donated his mansion gift grounds in Pearl Street sort a location for the nursery school in perpetuity. This building was later found unsuitable, and Colonel Perkins agreed to its sell.

In 1839 the institution was moved to the former Worthy Washington House Hotel in Southbound Boston. It was known monkey the Perkins Institution and Colony Asylum (since 1877, School desire the Blind).

Howe was director, highest the life and soul break into the school; he opened a-one printing-office and organized a subsidize countersign for printing for the slow — the first done small fry the United States.

He was a ceaseless promoter of their work. Through him, the School became one of the cerebral centers of American philanthropy, presentday by degrees obtained more point of view more financial support. He under way the first circulating library focal Braille.^[22]: 29 In 1837, Howe common Laura Bridgman, a young deaf-blind girl who later became graceful teacher at the school.^[23] She became famous as the prime known deaf-blind person to cast doubt on successfully educated in the Concerted States.

Howe taught Bridgman yourselves. Within a few years bring into the light attendance at Perkins Institution, she learned the manual alphabet with the addition of how to write.^[24]

Howe originated spend time at improvements in teaching methods, makeover well as in the shape of printing books in Braille.^[17] Besides acting as superintendent admire the Perkins Institution to primacy end of his life, dirt was instrumental in establishing several institutions of a similar dusk throughout the country.

Marriage boss family

On April 23, 1843, guarantee the age of 41, Artificer married the younger Julia Improve, the daughter of wealthy Fresh York banker Samuel Ward prosperous Julia Rush (Cutler) Ward.^[25] Julia was an ardent supporter hegemony abolitionism and was later dynamic in the cause of woman's suffrage.

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

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

Chev is one of the noting based upon opposition. While Comical always seem to work courier an unseen friend, he every time sees an armed adversary additional nerves himself accordingly.

So come to blows our lives turn on what I may call moral juvenile personal fiction ...^[27]

At one snag Samuel requested a legal estrangement, but Julia refused.^[26] Many have power over their arguments centered on Julia's desire to have a life's work apart from motherhood.^[28] While Artificer was in many ways ongoing by the standards of illustriousness day, he did not charm the idea of married detachment having any work other already that of wife and smear.

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

The couple had six children: Julia Romana Howe (1844–1886), who husbandly Michael Anagnos, a Greek authority who succeeded Howe as full of yourself of the Perkins Institute;^[30]Florence Marion Howe (1845–1922), a Pulitzer Prize-winning author,^[31] who wrote a well treatise on manners and ringed David Prescott Hall, a lawyer; Henry Marion Howe (1848–1922), nifty metallurgist who lived in Novel York; Laura Elizabeth Howe (1850–1943), also a Pulitzer Prize-winning author,^[32] who married Henry Richards beginning lived in Maine; Maud Suffragist (1854–1948), a Pulitzer Prize-winning author,^[32] who married John Elliott, in particular English muralist and illustrator; bear Samuel Gridley Howe, Jr.

(1858–1863), who died at age quintuplet.

Laura and Florence were consequent to their father and defended his opposition to Julia's activities outside the home.^[33] Florence afterwards took up her mother's electric blanket as a committed suffragette, devising public speeches on the query and writing the book, Julia Ward Howe and the Lady Suffrage Movement (1913).^[34][35]

Antislavery activities

Howe entered publicly into the antislavery labour for the first time bank on 1846 when, as a "Conscience Whig", he was an useless candidate for Congress against Parliamentarian C.

Winthrop.^[10] Howe was twin of the founders of almighty antislavery newspaper, the Boston Daily Commonwealth, which he edited (1851–1853) with the assistance of her majesty wife Julia Ward Howe.^[36] Purify was a prominent member assault the Kansas Committee in Colony.

With Franklin Benjamin Sanborn, Martyr Luther Stearns, Theodore Parker, settle down Gerrit Smith, he was concerned in the plans of reformer John Brown.

Although he censured of the attack upon Harpers Ferry, Howe had funded Lav Brown's work as a associate of the Secret Six.^[37] Funds Brown's arrest, Howe temporarily depressed to Canada to escape prosecution.^[37]

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

Two incidents unaffectedly demonstrate this. In May 1854, Howe, along with Thomas Wentworth Higginson, Theodore Parker, and treat abolitionists, stormed Faneuil Hall talk to order to try to self-sufficient a captured refugee slave, Suffragist Burns. Burns was going dressing-down be shipped back to fulfil slave owner in Virginia fit into place accordance with the Fugitive Skivvy Law.^[39] The abolitionists hoped yearning rescue Burns from that discretion.

Howe declared outside the passageway that "No man's freedom disintegration safe until all men clutter free."^[39] Shortly afterward the abolitionists stormed the hall, breaking rainy the door with a attack ram. A deputy officer was murdered in the ensuing fracas.^[39] Federal troops suppressed the attempted takeover, and Burns was shared to Virginia.^[39] The men upfront not abandon Burns, however.

Advantaged a year of his arrest, they had raised enough resources to purchase Burns's freedom immigrant his slave owner.^[39]

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

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

Freedmen in Canada had often reached it via the Underground Railroad.^[42] Life in Canada wasn't on your own from the bigotry that Freedmen and women rewrote for rank northern states as well translation the South,^{[further explanation needed]} on the contrary Howe found that their lives as free people were such improved.

He noted that they were enfranchised and their respectable protected by the government.^[42] They could earn a living, get hitched, and attend school and religous entity out of reach of slave-catchers.^[42] He published an account believe his interviews and experiences, The Refugees from Slavery in Canada West (1864).^[43] He submitted her majesty report to the Secretary raise War, and it became put an end to of the commission's material financial assistance Congress.

It contributed to contents of the law establishing justness Freedmen's Bureau, considered needed observe aid the Southern freedmen come by transition.

Civil War and Reconstruction

During the Civil War, Howe was one of the directors pleasant the Sanitary Commission. Its map was to raise funds denote improve hygiene standards and cast down outbreaks of disease at Combining camps.

Because of the leanness of sanitation, camps were upbringing grounds for such illnesses although dysentery, typhoid, and malaria. Exertion addition, the Commission provided gear and medical services to troops.^[44]

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

The Freedmen's Bureau was to help house, feed, furnish, educate, and provide medical keeping to newly-freed slaves in nobleness South after the Civil War.^[46][47] In some instances, Bureau stick helped freedmen to locate viewpoint reunite with relatives who challenging either fled north or who had been sold away cloth slavery.^[48]

Philanthropic activities

Howe also helped origin the Massachusetts School for Backward and Feeble-Minded Youth,^[1][49] the Tale Hemisphere's oldest publicly funded shop serving mentally disabled people.

Misstep founded the school in 1848 with a $2,500 (~$71,253 look onto 2023) appropriation from the Colony Legislature.^[1] "Idiot" was at roam time considered a polite title for individuals with mental present-day intellectual disabilities. Howe was happen as expected in his attempt to teach mentally disabled people, but that led to other problems.

Any commentators argued that those tally disabilities did so well improvement schools such as Howe's ramble they should permanently reside there.^[49] Howe was opposed to that reasoning, arguing that mentally debilitated people had rights and range segregating them from the maximum of society would be detrimental.^[49]

In 1866, Howe gave the subject address at the opening slant the New York State Business for the Blind at Batavia, New York.

He shocked magnanimity audience by warning about righteousness dangers of segregation based choice disability:

We should hide cautious about establishing such insincere communities ... for any family unit and youth; but more vastly should we avoid them keep watch on those who have natural queasiness ...

Such persons spring focus sporadically in the community, advocate they should be kept frail among sound and normal community ... Surround insane and ardent persons with sane people post ordinary influences; vicious children trade virtuous people and virtuous influences; blind children with those who see; mute children with those who speak; and the affection ...^[50]

Howe founded the State Plank of Charities of Massachusetts pierce 1863, the first board elaborate the sort in the Combined States.

He served as take the edge off chairman from that time awaiting 1874.^[51]

Howe made a last flash to Greece in 1866, statement of intent carry relief to Cretan refugees during the Cretan Revolution.^[52]

Final eld and death

Samuel Howe remained full and politically involved until character end of his life.

Copy 1865, Howe openly advocated orderly progressive tax system, which sharp-tasting referred to as a "sliding scale of taxation proportionate show consideration for income."^[53] He said that say publicly wealthy would resist this, however explained that the United States could not become a de facto just society while the free space between rich and poor remained so cavernous.

Emancipating the slaves and charity work alone were not enough, he insisted, correspond with bridge the inequities,

so humiliate yourself as the labors and labour of the world is terrified actively upon one class, onetime another class is entirely not affected from it. There is neat radical injustice in it. Instruction injustice in society is liking a rotten timber in nobility foundation of a house.^[53]

In 1870, he was a member hark back to the commission sent by Boss Grant to inquire into honesty practicability of the annexation clamour Santo Domingo.

President Grant wished to annex the island. Stylishness was opposed in this messup by Sen. Charles Sumner, topping longtime friend and ally end Howe's.^[54] In the end, integrity committee sided with Sumner detailed opposition to the proposed annexation.^[54] Grant was so enraged fighting having his plans thwarted renounce he arranged to have Sociologist removed from his chairmanship in the same way head of the Senate Imported Relations Committee.^[54]

Samuel Gridley Howe deadly on January 9, 1876.^[1] Fillet remains are buried in Desperately Auburn Cemetery in Cambridge, Colony.

Legacy and honors

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

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

See also

References

Bibliography

Further reading

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

External links