IV. Schooling

A. EDUCATIONAL CONTACTS BETWEEN EUROPEANS AND INDIANS

1. King Ferdinand of Spain orders the education of the sons of Indian chiefs: the Laws of Burgos, 1512

Lesley Byrd Simpson, Studies in the Administration of the Indians of New Spain (Berkeley, 1934), p. 18.

Law XVII: Furthermore, we command that all the sons of the caciques[1a] of the said island [Hispaniola] who are under thirteen years of age are to be handed over to the friars of the Order of St. Francis so that the said friars teach them how to read and write and all things pertaining to Our Holy Catholic Faith; [the friars] are to keep these children for four years and then shall return them to their encomenderos [1b] so that they will teach other Indians.

[1a.] Indian nobles appointed by the Spanish government as local officials.

[1b.] Spanish colonists who were granted estates with Indian inhabitants to reward their services and to evangelize the Indians.

2. Virginia Company officials authorized to kidnap Indian children in order to bring them up Christians, 1609

Virginia Council [London], "Instructions, orders, and constitutions to Sir Thomas Gates, Knight, Governor of Virginia," in Va. Co. Records, III, 14-15.

You shall, with all propenseness and diligence, endeavor the conversion of the natives to the knowledge and worship of the true God and their Redeemer, Christ Jesus, as the most pious and noble end of this plantation, which the better to effect you must procure from them some convenient number of their children to be brought up in your language and manners. And if you find it convenient, we think it reasonable you first remove. . . them from their…priests by a surprise of them all and detain them prisoners, for they are so wrapped up in the fog and misery of their iniquity, and so terrified with their continual tyranny, chained under the bond of Death unto the Devil, that while [the priests] live among them to poison and infect. . . their minds, you shall never make any great progress into this glorious work, nor have any civil peace or concur with them. And in case of necessity or conveniency, we pronounce it not cruelty nor breach of charity to deal more sharply with them and to proceed even to dash with these murderers of souls and sacrificers of gods' images to the devil. . .

3. Education of Indian children held as hostages, Virginia, 1656

Va. Statutes at Large, 1, 396.

If the Indians shall bring in any children as gauges of their good and quiet intentions to us and amity with us, then the parents of such children shall choose the persons to whom the care of such children shall be entrusted; and the country by us their representatives do engage that we will not use them as slaves, but do their best to bring them up in Christianity, civility, and the knowledge of necessary trades. And on the report of the commissioners of each respective county that those under whose tuition they are do really intend the bettering of the children in these particulars, then a salary shall be allowed to such men as shall deserve and require it.

The founders of Virginia were required by the charter of 1606 to commit themselves to "propagating the Christian religion to such people, as yet live in darkness and miserable ignorance." A sum in excess of £2,000 in money and goods was collected and plans drawn for "Henrico College," but a succession of mishaps and errors prevented the establishment of the school. The revocation of the charter in 1624, transforming Virginia into a royal colony, delayed any substantial effort until the end of the seventeenth century.

1. An anonymous London philanthropist gives £ 500 for the education of Indian children in Virginia, 1619

Va. Co. Records, I, 307-308.

A letter from an unknown person was read, directed to Master Treasurer [Sir Edwin Sandys], promising five hundred pounds for the educating and bringing up [of] infidel children in Christianity which Master Treasurer, not willing to meddle therewith alone, desired the Court to appoint a select committee for the managing and employing of it to the best. . .

The copy of which letter ensueth.

Sir, your charitable endeavors for Virginia hath made you a father, we a favorer, of those good works which although heretofore hath come near to their birth, yet for want of strength could never be delivered (envy and division dashing these younglings even in the womb), until your helpful hand with other honorable personages gave them both birth and being. For the better cherishing of which good and pious work, seeing many casting gifts into the Treasury, I am encouraged to tender my poor mite. And although I cannot, with the Princes of Issaker, bring gold and silver covering, yet offer here what I can, some goat's hair, necessary stuff for the Lord's Tabernacle. . . . To the furtherance of which good work, the converting of infidels to the faith of Christ, I promised by my good friends 500 £ for the maintenance of a convenient number of young Indians taken at the age of seven years or younger and instructed in the reading and understanding the principles of Christian religion unto the age of twelve years, and then as occasion serveth to be trained and brought up in some lawful trade with all humanity and gentleness until the age of one and twenty years, and then to enjoy like liberties and privileges with our native English in that place.

2. Education of Indian children at the College of William and Mary, ca. 1693

Herbert L. Ganter, "Some Notes on the Charity of the Honorable Robert Boyle. . . ," William and Mary College Quarterly, ser. 2, XV (1935), 6, 17-18.

Robert Boyle (1627-1691), the English chemist and natural philosopher, left the residue of his estate "for the advance or propagation of the Christian religion amongst infidels." The sum was invested in the manor of Brafferton in Yorkshire and the bulk of the proceeds sent to the president and masters of the College of William and Mary, which had been chartered in 1693, to be expended for the education of Indian youths.

All sum and sums of money already or that should thereafter be received out of the said manor. . . should be thereafter remitted to the said President and masters for the time being.

. . . The said President and masters, and his and their successors, should thereout expend so much as should be necessary towards fitting and furnishing lodgings and rooms for such Indian children as should be thereafter brought into the said College.

. . . The said President and masters, and his or their successors, should keep at the said College so many Indian children in sickness and health, in meat, drink, washing, lodging, clothes, medicines, books and education, from the first beginning of letters till they should be ready to receive orders, and be thought sufficient to be sent abroad to preach and convert the Indians, at the rate of fourteen pounds per annum for every such child, as the yearly income of the premises, subject to the deduction aforesaid should amount to.

3. Reforms proposed for the education of Indian youth at the College of William and Mary, 1724

Hugh Jones, The Present State of Virginia, ed. Richard L. Morton (Chapel Hill, 1956), pp. 114-116; first published in London in 1724.

Hugh Jones (ca. 1670-1760) was on the faculty of the College and was familiar with the situation there.

The Indians who are upon Mr. Boyle's foundation have now a handsom apartment for themselves and their master, built near the College, which useful contrivance ought to be carried on to the utmost advantage in the real education and conversion of the infidels; for hitherto but little good has been done therein, though abundance of money has been laid out, and a great many endeavours have been used, and much pains taken for that purpose.

The young Indians, procured from the tributary or foreign nations with much difficulty, were formerly boarded and lodged in the town; where abundance of them used to die, either through sickness, change of provision, and way of life; or as some will have it, often for want of proper necessaries and due care taken with them. Those of them that have escaped well, and been taught to read and write, have for the most part returned to their home, some with and some without baptism, where they follow their own savage customs and heathenish rites.

A few of them have lived as servants among the English, or loitered and idled away their time in laziness and mischief.

But 'tis great pity that more care is not taken about them, after they are dismissed from school.

They have admirable capacities when their humours and tempers are perfectly understood; and if well taught, they might advance themselves and do great good in the service of religion; whereas now they are rather taught to become worse than better by falling into the worst practices of vile nominal Christians, which they add to their own Indian manners and notions.

To prevent this therefore, let there be chosen continually four Indian servitors[1c] out of the Indian school, as the other four out of the grammar school.

Let these be maintained in the Indian house, and wait upon the four lower tables: Let them be instructed as the other servitors, or as their genius most aptly may require, but particularly in religion; and when they are found qualified let them be sent to England, or placed out to captains of ships or trades. . . for a few years; then let them return and be allowed a small exhibition,[1d] and encouraged in their separate callings and occupations; and let them settle among the English, and others return to their own nations.

Undoubtedly many of them would become excellent artists and proficients in trade; and thus when reason and experience has convinced them of the preference of our religion and manners, certainly they may not only save their own souls; but also be extreamly instrumental in the conversion of their barbarous friends and relations.

In proceeding thus, any that seem capable or inclinable to study divinity, should by all means be encouraged and forwarded in it, and sent over for a small time to one of our universities with an allowance of a fellow; after which, if such were admitted into orders, and then sent out missionaries among their own country-folks, what great good might we not expect from such, when thoroughly converted and instructed in Christianity, and made truly sensible of the advantages of religion, the deadly state of infidelity, and the miserable lives and customs of the Indians?

In a work of this kind undoubtedly several good Christians would contribute their charitable assistance; 'till which the present fund should be applied in this method, though the managers should be obliged to reduce the number of Indian scholars upon this account; since this was the main intent of the benefaction, and no other method can well answer this design; which may be evidenced by experience both from the colleges of Virginia and New England too, as I have been credibly informed from good authors, as well as my own experience.

By such methods in process of time might the Indian obstinacy be mollified, their seeming dulness might be cleared from rust; and the gates of heaven be opened for their admission upon their perfect conversion to the faith of Christ. In such glorious designs as these neither should humour, interest, nor prejudice divert any from their charitable assistance therein, especially such as are concerned in affairs of this kind, and engaged by duty to lend their best aid in leading the infidels into the pale of Christ's Church, and making them by mild and most gentle measures to accompany his flock; since all the force in the world would rather drive them from, than guide them, to the congregation of the faithful and communion of saints.

By some such prudent and mild methods alone may they be made to live and die as true Christians, and not like the most savage brutes, as they generally do.

[1c.] Students who acted as servants to the faculty of a college in return for their expenses.

[1d.] A subsidy.

Massachusetts Puritans catechize Indian children, 1646

[John Wilson?], The Day-Breaking if Not the Sun-Rising of the Gospell with the Indians in New-England (New York, 1865), pp. 9-10; first published in London in 1647.

In New England early missionary activity centered around a few dedicated clergymen, particularly John Eliot, minister of First Church of Roxbury, Massachusetts, and translator of the Bible into the Algonkian language. In this tract, attributed to Eliot's friend and associate John Wilson, minister and teacher of First Church, Boston, the visit of four clergymen to a village of the Waban Indians is described. Eliot delivered a sermon and catechized the Indian children.

Upon November 11, 1646, we came the second time unto the same wigwam of Wabon. We found many more Indians met together than the first time we came to them; and having seats provided for us by themselves, and being sat down a while, we began again with prayer in the English tongue. Our beginning this time was with the younger sort of Indian children in catechizing of them, which being the first time of instructing them, we thought meet to ask them but only three questions in their own language, that we might not clog their minds or memories with too much at first. The questions (asked and answered in the Indian tongue) were these three:

1. Question: Who made you and all the world?

Answer: God.

2. Question: Who do you look should save you and redeem you from sin and hell?

Answer: Jesus Christ.

3. Question: How many commandments hath God given you to keep?

Answer: Ten.

These questions being propounded to the children severally, and one by one, and the answers being short and easy, hence it came to pass that before we went through all, those who were last catechized had more readily learned to answer to them, by hearing the same question so often propounded and answered before their fellows. And the other Indians who were grown up to more years had perfectly learned them, whom we therefore desired to teach their children again when we were absent, that so when we came again we might see their profiting, the better to encourage them hereunto, we therefore gave something to every child.