NH Humanities Council Program: The Abolitionists of Noyes Academy

The Canaan Town Library has received a grant from the New Hampshire Humanities Council to present The Abolitionists of Noyes Academy.  The Abolitionists of Noyes Academy will be presented on Sunday, July 28, at 1:00pm, at the Canaan Meetinghouse.

Dan Billin will lead a public discussion on the history of Noyes Academy.  In 1835, abolitionists opened one of the nation’s first integrated schools in Canaan, NH, attracting eager African American students from as far away as Boston, Providence, and New York City. Outraged community leaders responded by raising a mob that dragged the academy building off its foundation and ran the African American students out of town. New Hampshire’s first experiment in educational equality was brief, but it helped launch the public careers of a trio of extraordinary African American leaders: Henry Highland Garnet, Alexander Crummell, and Thomas Sipkins Sidney. Dan Billin plumbs the depths of anti-abolitionist sentiment in early-nineteenth-century New England, and the courage of three young friends destined for greatness.

This program is free and open to the public.  Light refreshments will be provided.

The New Hampshire Humanities Council nurtures the joy of learning and inspires community engagement by bringing life-enhancing ideas from the humanities to the people of New Hampshire.  They connect people with ideas.  Learn more about the Council and its work at www.nhhc.org.  Additional local support is provided by the Canaan Historical Society.

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