September 1926, rural Kentucky, fourteen-year-old Sarah Mitchell was married to thirty-eight-year-old farmer William Mitchell, arrangement made by Sarah’s father who owed William money, debt was $85, Sarah’s father couldn’t pay, offered Sarah instead, William accepted, marriage was performed September 10, 1926, Sarah left school that day, had been in ninth grade, loved learning, wanted to become teacher, marriage ended all that, Sarah moved to William’s farmhouse, became wife to man she’d met twice before wedding.
Sarah’s teacher Miss Elizabeth Carson visited Sarah two weeks after marriage, brought all of Sarah’s school books, textbooks for ni
nth grade mathematics, history, literature, science, Miss Carson said “Sarah, you’re excellent student, you shouldn’t stop learning because you’re married, I brought your books, study them when you can, education is yours, nobody can take it unless you let them,” Sarah took books, hid them under loose floorboard in bedroom, William didn’t believe in education for women, would have thrown books out, Sarah kept them secret.
Every night after William slept, Sarah lifted floorboard, retrieved books, studied by dim lamp light, did mathematics problems, read history chapters, practiced writing essays, Sarah educated herself secretly from September 1926 forward, was fourteen-year-old wife who refused to stop learning, Sarah completed ninth grade curriculum by December 1926, began tenth grade books Miss Carson smuggled to her during rare trips to town.
Sarah’s secret studying continued three years, ages fourteen to seventeen, Sarah completed high school curriculum secretly, studying after midnight while William slept, Sarah passed from ninth grade to high school graduation through books hidden under floorboard and determination that wouldn’t accept marriage as end of education, by age seventeen 1929, Sarah had high school education nobody knew she’d obtained.
Sarah became pregnant 1929, age seventeen, gave birth to daughter Mary in March 1930, motherhood complicated Sarah’s studying, baby woke frequently, Sarah had less time alone, Sarah adapted, studied d
uring Mary’s naps, continued learning while being mother and wife, Sarah was eighteen, had high school education, infant daughter, husband who didn’t know wife was educated, life built on secrets and determination.
1933, Sarah was twenty-one, Mary was three, Sarah had continued studying beyond high school, Miss Carson brought college textbooks, Sarah studied literature, advanced mathematics, history, Sarah educated herself to college level secretly, William never discovered books under floorboard, never knew wife studied every night, Sarah protected her secret education fiercely, was only thing that belonged to her alone.
1935, William died suddenly, heart attack ag
e forty-seven, Sarah was widowed at twenty-three, had daughter age five, had farm she couldn’t manage, had secret education she’d never used, William’s death freed Sarah in unexpected way, Sarah sold farm, moved to town, applied for teaching position, took teacher certification exam, passed with high scores, was hired to teach at elementary school despite having no formal high school diploma, her knowledge proved education regardless of how it was obtained.
Sarah taught school 1935-1968, thirty-three yea
rs, became respected teacher, sent own daughter to college, Mary graduated university 1952, became lawyer, Sarah told Mary her story when Mary graduated law school: “I was married at fourteen, forced to leave ninth grade, I hid school books under floorboards, studied secretly every night for nine year
s while married to your father, educated myself through high school and beyond, used that education to become teacher after your father died, I taught thirty-three years with education I’d given myself at night, you just graduated law school, you’re becoming lawyer, I gave you education openly that I had to take secretly, that’s progress, that’s everything.”
Sarah retired 1968, age fifty-six, died 1989, age seventy-seven, obituary mentioned she was teacher who’d educated herself secretly as child bride, who’d hidden books under floorboards and studied after midnight, who’d become educator despite being denied education, Sarah’s former students atten
ded funeral, many were now adults with careers, several became teachers themselves inspired by Miss Mitchell who’d taught them, one former student spoke: “Miss Mitchell taught me third grade 1945, I was eight, she was strict but kind, demanded excellence, believed every child could learn, I became teacher because of her, I learned decades later that Miss Mitchell educated herself secretly as teenager, studied hidden books after husband slept, obtained education nobody gave her by taking it herself at midnight, Miss Mitchell taught us education was valuable, we didn’t know how valuable it was to her, how hard she’d fought for her own education, knowing that now makes her teaching more powerful, she taught what she’d fought for, she gave us what she’d stolen for herself, that’s Miss Mitchell, teacher who’d been child bride, who refused to accept marriage as end of learning,
who studied secretly nine years, who taught openly thirty-three years, who educated herself and then educated hundreds of us.”
Mary spoke at mother’s funeral: “My mother Sarah was married at fourteen, forced to leave school, she hid textbooks under bedroom floorboards, studied every night after husband slept, educated herself secretly through high school and college level, my father died when mother was twenty-three, mother used secret education to become teacher, taught thirty-three years, mother never forgave system that forced fourteen-year-old girls into marriage, that ended their education, that treated them as property, but mother didn’t let system define her, mother defined herself through books hidden under floorboards, through midnight stu
dying, through refusal to accept ignorance as her fate, mother’s life was her answer to everyone who said fourteen-year-old bride didn’t need education, mother educated herself and proved them wrong, mother taught hundreds of children and proved them wrong thirty-three years, mother sent me to law school and proved them wrong again, I’m lawyer because mother was educator, mother was educator because she was child bride who refused to stop learning, mother’s secret books under floorboards became thirty-three years of teaching, became my law degree, became hundreds of students she influenced, became everything, mother died educated, accomplished, respected, started as fourteen-year-old bride with hidden books, ended as seventy-seven-year-old retired teacher with legacy, that’s my mother, that’s Sarah Mitchell who studied at midnight, taught at day, changed everything by refusing to let marriage end he
