Prudence Crandall

In 1834, she married a Baptist minister and a fellow abolitionist, Rev. Calvin Philleo, just before the school was shut down due to violent protests by the local citizens. Her husband had three children from his first marriage.

Philleo died in 1874. He had been constantly suffering from mental illnesses since 1840s.

After her husband passed away, she moved to Elk Falls, Kansas, to live with her elder brother in 1877. She died on January 28, 1890 due to illness and was buried in Elk Falls cemetery.

She was born on September 3, 1803 in Hopkinton, Rhode Island to Pardon Crandall and his wife Esther Crandall, a Quaker couple. She had three siblings; an older brother, Hezekiah Crandall, a younger brother named Reuben Crandall and a younger sister, Almira Crandall.

Her family moved to the town of Canterbury, Connecticut when she was 17. She received her education in arithmetic, Latin and sciences at the New England Friends’ Boarding School in Providence, Rhode Island.

She taught at a girl’s school in Plainfield, Connecticut after completing her education. In 1831, she purchased a newly established school, Canterbury Female Boarding School, in Canterbury with her sister and started teaching there. It was regarded as one of the best academies in the state for girl education.

In 1832, she admitted Sarah Harris, daughter of an African American farmer, in her school. Sarah wanted to become a teacher and educate other African American children of the community.

Her decision of admitting a black girl was met with the objection and outburst of the parents of white girls of the school. They protested and pressurized her to expel Sarah, but she denied their unjust demand. As a result, the white parents removed their daughters from the school criticizing her decision.

She then decided to focus solely on the education of the African American community and began admitting their girls. Her school re-opened in 1833 under the name ‘Miss Crandall's School for Young Ladies and Little Misses of Color’.

This decision raised the temper of local citizens who resorted to threats and acts of violence to shut down the school. She, along with her students, faced hostile behavior from the public as they passed offensive comments and refused to provide goods and services to them.

She was a true abolitionist and did everything she could do to revolt against slavery. With a vast knowledge on a variety of subjects, including English grammar, geography, history, chemistry, astronomy and many more, she tried to educate as many girls as she could in spite of all the objection and harassment she faced.

Even after marriage, she participated in women’s rights activities, making speeches for the suffrage movement and for tolerance.