'Bray Schools' in Canada, America and the Bahamas, 1645–1900
The archives of the Associates of Dr Bray to 1900
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Learn how religious groups in North America grappled with the moral and economic consequences of slave trade and displacement of Indigenous Native Americans
The Associates of Dr. Bray was a group comprised of English clergymen and philanthropists who created and funded schools for Black, and to a lesser extent, Indigenous North American, children in the American Colonies between 1758 and 1776. Their aim was not only to educate, but also to Christianise their pupils.
This collection contains correspondence files, minute books, and financial reports compiled by the Associates during the period 1724-1900. It also includes some relevant documents that pre-date the organisation itself.
The impact that Bray’s schools had cannot be overstated. His were some of the first schools tasked with eradicating indigenous cultures and replacing them with Christian doctrines. They were founded on the principles of fearing for the souls of their pupils, but seemingly cared little for their freedom from enslavement, nor for their religious or cultural autonomy.
