d culture, and the good use she wished to
make of her education, her excellent character, and her being an
accepted member of the same Christian church to which they
belonged, they were too much prejudiced to listen to any
arguments--'they would not have it said that their daughters went
to school with a nigger girl.' It was urged that if Sarah was not
dismissed, the white pupils would be withdrawn; but although the
fond hopes of success for an institution which she had
established at the risk of all her property, and by incurring a
debt of several hundred dollars, seemed to be doomed to
disappointment, she decided not to yield to the demand for the
dismissal of Sarah; and on the 2d day of March, 1833, she
advertised in the 'Liberator' that on the first Monday in April
her school would be open for 'young ladies and little misses of
color.' Her determination having become known, a fierce
indignation was kindled and fanned by prominent people of the
village and pervaded the town. In this juncture, the Rev. Samuel
J. May, of the neighboring town of Brooklyn, addressed her a
letter of sympathy, expressing his readiness to assist her to the
extent of his power, and was present at the town meeting held on
the 9th of March, called for the express purpose of devising and
adopting such measures as 'would effectually avert the nuisance
or speedily abate it if it should be brought into the village.'

"The friends of Miss Crandall were authorized by her to state to
the moderator of the town meeting that she would give up her
house, which was one of the most conspicuous in the village, and
not wholly paid for, if those who were opposed to her school
being there would take the property off her hands at the price
for which she had purchased it, and which was deemed a reasonable
one, and allow her time to procure another house in a more
retired part of the town.

"The town meeting was held in the meeting-house, which, though
capable of holding a thousand people, was crowded throughout to
its utmost capacity. After the warning for the meeting had been
read, resolutions were introduced in which were set forth the
disgrace and damage that would be brought upon the town if a
school for colored girls should be set up there, protesting
emphatically against t