In New York City much had already been done to enlighten the Negroes through the schools of the Manumission Society.  But as the increasing population of color necessitated additional facilities, the Manumission Society obtained from the fund of the Public School Society partial support of its system.  The next step was to unite the African Free Schools with those of the Public School Society to reduce the number of organizations participating in the support of Negro education.  Despite the argument of some that the two systems should be kept separate, the property and schools of the Manumission Society were transferred to the New York Public School Society in 1834.[2] Thereafter the schools did not do as well as they had done before.  The administrative part of the work almost ceased, the schools lost in efficiency, and the former attendance of 1400 startlingly dropped.  An investigation made in 1835 showed that many Negroes, intimidated by frequent race riots incident to the reactionary movement, had left the city, while others kept their children at home for safety.  It seemed, too, that they looked upon the new system as an innovation, did not like the action of the Public School Society in reducing their schools of advanced grade to that of the primary, and bore it grievously that so many of the old teachers in whom they had confidence, had been dropped.  To bring order out of chaos the investigating committee advised the assimilation of the separate schools to the white.  Thereupon the society undertook to remake the colored schools, organizing them into a system which offered instruction in primary, intermediate, and grammar departments.  The task of reconstruction, however, was not completed until 1853, when the property of the colored schools was transferred to the Board of Education of New York.[2]

[Footnote 1:  Special Report of the U.S.  Com. of Ed., 1871, p. 366.]

[Footnote 2:  Special Report of the U.S.  Com. of Ed., 1871, p. 366.]

The second transfer marked an epoch in the development of Negro education in New York.  The Board of Education proceeded immediately to perfect the system begun at the time of the first change.  The new directors reclassified the lower grades, opened other grammar schools, and established a normal school according to the recommendation of the investigating committee of 1835.  Supervision being more rigid thereafter, the schools made some progress, but failed to accomplish what was expected of them.  They were carelessly intrusted for supervision to the care of ward officers, some of whom partly neglected this duty, while others gave the work no attention whatever.  It was unfortunate, too, that some of these schools were situated in parts of the city where the people were not interested in the uplift of the despised race, and in a few cases in wards which were almost proslavery.  Better results followed after the colored schools were brought under the direct supervision of the Board of Education.