Almira Parker

Like many young women in nineteenth century Michigan, Almira Parker became an educator. Unlike most of her counterparts, teaching took her far beyond the familiar confines of Grand Blanc Township.

When the Civil War ended in 1865, Almira and husband George joined the Freedmen’s Bureau and traveled south. Established to direct humanitarian aid for recently-emancipated people, the bureau provided resources like shelter, supplies, and education. Almira taught freedmen to read and white, thereby helping them engage with Reconstruction-era democracy.