CONTENT WARNING
Materials in the Library of Virginia’s collections contain historical terms, phrases, and images that are offensive to modern readers. These include demeaning and dehumanizing references to race, ethnicity, and nationality; enslaved or free status; physical and mental ability; and gender and sexual orientation.
Context
Prior to the Civil War, Virginia did not have a comprehensive public school system. Some localities provided some "free schools" or "charity schools" for the children of indigent white families. African Americans, free and enslaved, were excluded from these schools because it was illegal to provide them with an education.
After the end of the Civil War, Virginia adopted a new state constitution in 1869. The constitution, which was written at a convention that included two dozen Black men among the elected delegates, provided for the creation of a statewide system of public schools. The General Assembly adopted legislation establishing the school system for all children in 1870 and required that it be racially segregated despite protests from African American legislators.
As local officials in Alexandria County (renamed Arlington County in 1920) created school districts in 1870, they complied with the state law to segregate the schools, a practice that continued in public education in Virginia for many decades. This hand-drawn map was attached to an 1870 census of school-aged children. It shows Jefferson Township (in the vicinity of modern-day Crystal City) and the proximity of white and African American households—delineated on the map as W for "white" and C for "colored"—to each other. The effort to send the students in those households to separate schools resulted in districts with convoluted boundaries.
Citation: Jefferson Township School Census and Map, 1870, formerly part of the Alexandria County Superintendent of Schools Records, 1851–1920, Alexandria County/Arlington Court Records, Library of Virginia, now at the Arlington Public Library Center for Local History.
Standards
Suggested Questions
Preview Activity
Take a Look: Looking at the map, what clues are provided to explain its purpose? Why would such a map be necessary in 1870 in Virginia?
Post Activities
Analyze: Cities and counties still draw boundaries for public school districts. Find your locality's school district maps online and look at the boundaries. Do the maps provide any clues as to why they are drawn that way? Compare a current map to the 1870 map. Are there obvious differences?
Current Connection: What is the purpose of a census? Why would a city or county want to have a census of the school-age population?