African Free School

The African Free School was established in 1787 by the New York Manumission Society, a group founded by figures like Alexander Hamilton and John Jay. While these men were powerful and influential, many also owned slaves themselves. They viewed education as a tool to prepare black children for a life outside of slavery, hoping to integrate them into society. This was the first school of its kind in the United States, starting as a single room with about forty students. Over the next several decades, it grew into a system of seven schools throughout the city.