Why didn't the white slave owners allow blacks to attend school and get an education?

Question

I notice blacks in other countries are extremely smart and they speak several languages. They are full of knowledge.
But blacks here were constantly told they were not good enough; In slavery days they were beaten badly if they were even caught reading! Why?

Answer 1

if you try searching the answer in past , then you won't find the answers that were satisfied you most :)

my black friend spoke Chinese takes high educations, even when to china for deeper resource...

if only some people could open his stubborn heart to admit times is past his judgment a long time ago..... than all will be great :)

Answer 2

You actually need to study history. The first slave ship arrived in America in 1618, Jamestown, Va. and slavery was abolished under Lincoln in 1863. That was about 140 to 400 years ago that this occurred.

Up until the early 1930's even some white women were only educated through the eighth grade.

Slaves were workers and I am sure that is the reason they were kept uneducated. They were less aware of their lack of education. The more educated they were the more rebellion there would be.

The countries that you are talking about today most likely were poorly educated 140 years ago.

Please do some historical research.

Answer 3

Because White slave owners knew that education, especially reading, would turn the Slaves against their masters. If you don't know anything about how to live you don't know how to take care of yourself and need someone to take care of you, hence the masters. It was the way they kept Blacks in slavery. Where could the slaves go if they couldn't read a map, newspaper or contact people who could help.But today there isn't any excuse for Blacks not to be more educated. Public schools may not be perfect but you have libraries where books are free and computers are available.

Answer 4

They thought they were like animals. White were the superior race. Blacks were thought of as dirty and nasty to them. Thought they were dumb because they didn't understand their culture or language. Why do they need an education, if they aren't going to use it or thought of as just slaves. And no it doesn't take education to actually escape, it just didn't want the blacks to think they were smart (white oppresion) and to mingle with the white children (back in the 1960-70-'s they still had segation). Blacks were just not equal with whites. Black had no rights to even sleep in the house or eat, slave owner had the power to do what ever they wanted with them. They were use like animals, and thought of as property. Some of them didn't think they had souls, and many thought they were lower than dogs (How To Kill A Mockingbird). Whites thought they were superior because they believed in God and were the most blessed, slavery was the Africans punishment for not believing in God.
They sold them,... made into sex slaves and hard labor,... mated with them to make more slaves (sick),.... they came by thousands on ships piled up,.... people made more money as slaves owner than gold (just thinking of all the horrible stuff they did...slaves jumping over a broom to get married come on that was a joke, to laugh at them). A lot easier to make people as slaves then searching for gold, isn't? So everyone did it. Columbus was the start of it all. Some hero huh?

One thing though, people hate each other for no reason, just because they can. It's very sad. Later when slave owners heard it was wrong, they kept doning it anyway because money and living the life of not paying someone to serve them was more important than morals.

Answer 5

Education did not fit into the slavery plan. Being that one slave developed knowledge means that the slaves could then fight back. The children were not allowed to go to school because it would affect the way the system ran.
Slave owners were not about to let blacks learn anything but slavery because it would cost them everything.

Answer 6

I mean, I don't agree with slavery at all because I don't think a human can own another human, but common sense would tell me that, if I were a slave owner, I wouldn't want my slaves to know how shiity they got it and how to organize against me....if they can read and write, then they can pass notes and plan a mutiny

...kinda like how some hate groups seem to be online right now spreading their message through the internet
.

Answer 7

To keep them dumb so they couldn't escape or do something that could have a negative effect on the owner. Whether it would be physically hurting him or costing him more money in some way things like that. Also keep in mind blacks weren't the only slaves. At one time there was more white slaves than black. I bet you didn't even know there was white slaves at the time too did you? They don't tell you that part. Like we owe them something. There where also Native American slaves too.

Answer 8

It was difficult for the black people to get education during this period in the United States. There was no formal education for these people. The way they attained education was through their families, churches, and their own efforts and sometimes from the work they were required to perform as slaves.

The main goal of education during the slave period was obtain as much wealth as the masters could from slave labor. Thus, the slaves were given education or training for their work on plantation. Black slaves were also trained in carpentry, masonry, blacksmithing etc. by their masters, which made it really cheap for them.

Another way they obtained some sort of education was through religion. Some slave masters agreed to give religious education to the slaves because they were motivated by Christian beliefs to provide religious instruction. They also thought that such instruction made the slaves more obedient and hardworking. Thus, the slaves were able to read bible. It was helpful to the slaves for the next years to come.

Slaves learned from their family members and fellow slaves. In families, this was done by passing on stories which encouraged hatred towards the slave masters. They also expressed their opinion with their music.

As the slaves became educated, it caused a potential danger to slavery. Many “educated” slaves were part of rebellion and made the whites to change the policy of education for Black people during slavery. Many states in the south also passed laws that prevented the slave education.

Answer 9

I don't understand all these complicated answers????? After working all day in their slave task then needing rest there would be no time for any kind of schooling. WTF???

Also, I don't get your logic jump from blacks not being educated today because ancestors were slaves.

If blacks are not educated today or can not speak proper english it is their own damn fault.

Answer 10

It prevented slaves from fully understanding their plight and slowed down their ability to foment rebellion. Also, they could not read the Bible. This allowed White preachers to emphasize the fact that Abraham(?) had slaves and that good slaves would be rewarded in the afterlife for Thier obedience. This is called 'pie in the sky theology'.

Answer 11

Slave owners wanted to keep their slaves ignorant. If they were educated, they would start thinking of ways to make a better life, including escape from bondage. Frederick Douglass knew early on on that education was his ticket to freedom. His master forbid him to learn to read and write, so had to teach himself on the sly. He would later be one of the most outspoken people against slavery.