Materials:

Handouts for Role Play

White Radicals – We believe that public school for all children is essential as thefoundation of a democratic society, and it has worked this way in our northernstates for years. Also, public schools are important to the reconstruction of theSouth. People need an education to be good citizens and productive people. But,while it might be fair to have black children attend any school, we worry that ifwe write this into this constitution, Virginia voters will vote against, or not ratify,the constitution.

Black freedmen/Radicals – We believe that public school for all children is essentialas the foundation of a democratic society. To be good citizens, all children needto learn to read and write. We also believe that black children should have equalaccess to all schools – that is only fair. Black children deserve the same schoolsas white children. Education is the gateway to all the other rights and blackchildren should be prepared to become full American citizens.

White southern/Conservatives – We are not convinced that there should be publicschools for white children, whether rich or poor. . Wealthy families can pay forprivate schools. And why do poor people need an education? Their menial labordoes not require them to read and write. We are even less sure about publiceducation for black children and absolutely certain that black and white childrenshould not attend the same schools. We are afraid that, since Virginians alreadyhave to pay off large war debts, adding taxes to pay for public education would bea bad idea at this time.

The William Jasper family, 1808-1870 [Talking Points]

• William Jasper, an African American, was probably born in 1808 not far fromGeorge Washington’s plantation in Mount Vernon. He was born a slave on theHayfield plantation of William Hayward Foote. Foote was one of the richest menin Fairfax County—when he died he owned 50 slaves.

• Jasper worked on a plantation that grew wheat and corn, and raised horses, cattle,sheep and hogs. Slaves at Hayfield, including Jasper, are likely to have beenskilled as blacksmiths and carpenters.

• Jasper and his family were not sold south to booming cotton and sugarplantations, as were many other slaves.

• According to his will, Foote decided to free his slaves on or soon after his death in1846. At this time Jasper, in his thirties, was valued by appraisers to be worth$350. Foote’s will also freed Jasper’s wife Sarah, in her mid-twenties, and theirtwo daughters, Susan and Eliza, who were six and four. The family was actuallyfreed in the early 1850s.

• It is important to note that the Jaspers were free blacks in Virginia before the CivilWar. But even as free blacks they faced numerous obstacles. They could notown a gun, obtain an education, vote, conduct business freely, or worship inreligious services unless supervised by whites. Also they might be captured byslave traders and sold back into slavery.

• The Jaspers wanted to stay in Virginia near friends and family, so in 1853 and1858 they chose to register as free blacks in Fairfax County to prove theirfreedom. This meant they could travel and gain employment without too muchfear of being mistaken for a slave.

• In 1860 William Jasper purchased 13 acres of land near the Hayfield Plantation.It is likely that he put together the $200 to pay a white farmer and slave owner forthe land from his work as a farmer.

• The Jaspers probably did not stay on their newly acquired property during theCivil War -- and it is also likely that what they had on this land, includingbuildings, animals and crops, was trampled by Confederate and Union soldiersduring the war. After the war, the Jaspers returned to their farm.