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A large property like this one might have been one of the first schools in America. |
A Potowatomi boy that the nuns might have taught in formal attire. |
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A large property like this one might have been one of the first schools in America. |
A Potowatomi boy that the nuns might have taught in formal attire. |
Once she finally started to build the 1st school, she and the members of her school had to do everything by themselves. Whether it was milking the cows, preparing meals, cleaning the school, and the regular chores of the day.
Philippine and the other nuns issued jobs out for the young Native Americans. Some cleaned, cooked, and even feed the livestock.
The young children learned many subjects including: Reading, Writing, Arithmatic, and they studied and learned the English language.
The nuns and several volunteers built the small, cramped school. Beds had to be pushed up in the daytime, so there would be more room for learning. The school had a chapel, five spacious rooms, a so-called garden, a barn, and a small kitchen.
Philippine was very disturbed about one problem in the school. She had wanted to teach the black children that lived by the school. She was not allowed to teach them, because of the laws that still were racist, and were against blacks going to school and learning. This upset her very much. But she couldn't do anything. She had no power against the unfair laws, or the people who followed them.
The students used the few
books they had to learn to read with. This is a picture of a
traditional schoolhouse. Philippine might have taught her
students in one of these. Here is a slate that one
of the students might have used to do arithmatic on during
class.
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Links to pages on
the life and times of St. Philippine Duchesne below
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