Laura M.
Towne (1825-1901), who devoted nearly forty years to educating the freedpeople,
epitomized the spirit of New England reform after the Civil War.
Born to a prosperous Pittsburgh family, Towne grew up in Boston and Philadelphia.
As a young woman, she became an abolitionist.
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In
April 1862, under the auspices of the Port Royal Relief Committee of Philadelphia,
Towne set out for the South Carolina Sea Islands, where nearly 10,000
slaves were now within Union lines.
Like others involved in the Port
Royal Experiment, she hoped to
make the islands a showcase for freedom by demonstrating blacks' capacity for education and productive free labor. Towne shared the paternalistic attitudes toward blacks typical of the time, but she genuinely wanted to assist in the transition from slavery to freedom.
Copyright
2003