Date
8-29-2024
Department
College of Arts and Sciences
Degree
Doctor of Philosophy in History (PhD)
Chair
Allen C. York
Keywords
Education, Freedmen's Bureau, Reconstruction, Florida
Disciplines
History
Recommended Citation
Damron, Jessica L., "Lighting the Lamp of Learning: Florida Freedmen’s Education During Reconstruction" (2024). Doctoral Dissertations and Projects. 5939.
https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/doctoral/5939
Abstract
While the American Civil War attracts significant research attention, Reconstruction often receives little attention in comparison. Focus the research on Reconstruction in Florida, and the scholarship narrows even more. This study reveals the efforts of the Freedmen’s Bureau, northern aid societies, and the freedmen teachers who advanced the education of the freedmen in Florida during Reconstruction. The cooperative effort included the freedmen who participated inspiringly during this period in their pursuit of education. The freedmen understood education represented the key to unlocking the potential of their new freedom. The Reconstruction period in Florida underwent progress and setbacks. However, the zeal of the freedmen for education, accompanied by the devoted freedmen teachers, spurred significant changes for a period for black people in the state.
