The Privilege of Education for All
In 1793, eight-year-old Mary D’Silver, the daughter of free African Americans, worked this needlework picture at the Bray Associates “Negro School” in Philadelphia. The Associates were a London-based Anglican benevolent organization that promoted the education of blacks throughout the British colonies. They established their Philadelphia school in 1758 and enrolled both free and enslaved children.
In early America, the education of African Americans was controversial. Slave owners considered educating a slave to be especially dangerous, as they thought knowledge stirred rebellion. Following the American Revolution, however, access to education became an important demand among free African American communities.
In the late 1700s, there were three schools in Philadelphia where girls like Mary learned the alphabet, spelling, the Testament, and also knitting and needlework. Worked in expensive silk thread, Mary’s picture was likely made to raise funds for the school. It also may have been a gift to a benefactor. It was found in England before being purchased by Winterthur.
“The Well-Taught Philosophic Mind”
School teachers were the ones who selected verses to be embroidered by their students. The stanza on Mary D’Silver’s needlework comes from the popular poem A Mouse’s Petition, written in 1773 by British author Anna Letitia Barbauld (1743–1825). Although Anna did not intend the poem as a political statement, it was interpreted that way. Its discussion of liberty and freedom for the oppressed has strong abolitionist undertones, and its poignant message was likely deemed suitable for educated African American children.
Image: The Mouse’s Petition. A stipple and line engraving with watercolor on cream wove paper by Francesco Bartolozzi (Italian, 1725−1815), after Henry William Bunbury (British, 1750−1811). Printed in London, England; 1791. Courtesy Worcester Art Museum (MA), Mrs. Kingsmill Marrs Collection 1925.1086
