Slavery, Education, and African-American Education in West Virginia

Wealthier pioneers

Pioneers with more wealth who expanded their landholdings.

Slave labor

The use of enslaved individuals to perform work on farms and plantations.

Eastern Virginia

The eastern region of the state of Virginia, where slavery was more prevalent.

Western Virginia

The western region of the state of Virginia, including the Eastern Panhandle, where slavery was less prevalent.

Slaveholders

Individuals who owned slaves.

Free black populations

Communities of African Americans who were not enslaved.

Nat Turner's raid

An 1831 slave rebellion led by Nat Turner in Southampton County, Virginia.

Abolitionism

The movement to end slavery.

Henry Ruffner

President of Washington College and advocate for ending slavery in trans-Allegheny Virginia.

John Brown

An abolitionist who led a raid on Harpers Ferry in 1859.

Restored Government of Virginia

A government loyal to the United States formed by pro-union western Virginians during the Civil War.

Emancipation

The act of freeing slaves.

Desegregation

The process of ending racial segregation, particularly in schools.

West Virginia Education Association

A teachers' union in West Virginia.

Charter schools

Public schools that operate independently and receive public funding.

Mountaineer ChalleNGe Academy

A military-style academy for at-risk youth in West Virginia.

Brown v. Board of Education

A landmark Supreme Court case that declared racial segregation in schools unconstitutional.

Freedmen's Bureau

A federal agency established to assist newly freed slaves after the Civil War.

Storer College

A historically black college in Harpers Ferry, West Virginia.

West Virginia Colored Institute

A historically black college in West Virginia, now known as West Virginia State University.

Bluefield Colored Institute

A historically black college in West Virginia, now known as Bluefield State College.