On the Trail of the Heathen School: Local History, American History, World History
Knight Auditorium, Spurlock Museum
600 South Gregory Street
Urbana
Early in the 1800s, a group of eminent Protestant ministers founded a special school in the little town of Cornwall, Connecticut for “heathen youth” drawn from all corners of the earth. Their express goal was to "save" the entire world in the shortest time imaginable by converting these boys, educating and civilizing them, then sending them back to found similar projects in their respective homelands. After a seemingly brilliant beginning, the project ran afoul of racism when two Cherokee students courted (and eventually married) local women. The result was scandal, widespread controversy, threats of violence, and permanent closure of the school.
Hosted by: Department of History
In conjunction with: Center for East Asian and Pacific Studies, Center for Global Studies, College of Education, College of Law, Department of Anthropology, Department of English, Department of Psychology, Department of Religion, Department of Sociology, Spurlock Museum
Rescheduled from Fall 2014.
Department of History, Yale University, author of The Heathen School: A Story of Hope and Betrayal in the Age of the Early Republic (2014)