Mary S. Peake: The Colored Teacher at Fortress Monroe

Mary S. Peake was born in 1823 in Norfolk, Virginia, to a free colored mother and a white English father. From a young age, she showed a deep religious devotion and a strong commitment to education and community service. After attending school in Alexandria for about ten years, Mary became active in the First Baptist Church in Norfolk and founded the 'Daughters of Zion,' a benevolent society dedicated to helping the poor and sick. In 1851, she married Thomas Peake, a man who had been enslaved but was free by then.

The Civil War brought dramatic changes to the region. When Union troops arrived at Hampton in 1861, many residents fled, and the town was burned by rebel order. Despite the fear and destruction, Mary Peake and her daughter remained calm and unafraid. As freed people began to return and rebuild, Mary took on a vital role as a teacher at Fortress Monroe, where the American Missionary Association had established a mission. Her school quickly grew from a handful of children to about fifty or sixty, including adults attending evening classes.

Mary’s teaching combined religious instruction—prayer, catechism, and singing—with secular education, fostering both spiritual growth and literacy. She was admired for her patience, dedication, and innovative approach, even continuing to teach despite declining health, sometimes from her bed. The community celebrated milestones like a Christmas festival where children performed songs and recitations, symbolizing hope and progress.

Sadly, after the festival, Mary’s health worsened, leading her to suspend and eventually cease teaching. Throughout her final days, she remained spiritually joyful and prepared for death with calmness and faith, surrounded by family, pupils, and friends. She died peacefully on her birthday, February 22, 1862. Her funeral, held in her schoolroom, was attended by many and marked by hymns and prayers. Mary was buried near the seminary under a live-oak tree, with a Psalm verse chosen to honor her memory.

The book’s appendix offers context about the mission to freedmen at Fortress Monroe, highlighting the rapid improvements in education, behavior, and social order among freed people. It describes how freedmen embraced temperance pledges, lawful marriages, and church discipline, reflecting a community striving toward dignity and self-reliance. Leaders like William Davis emphasized education and cultivation as keys to freedom.

Mary Peake’s story is one of courage, faith, and perseverance. She transformed a time and place marked by war and oppression into one of learning and spiritual renewal. Her legacy lived on through the schools and communities she helped nurture, embodying the hope and challenges of a people moving from slavery toward freedom.