Explore the work and influence of the Northampton Association of Education and Industry (NAEI) in 1842-1846 through more than 70 historic pictures, maps, letters, newspaper articles, speeches, book excerpts, advertisements, and other primary sources.  Video and hands-on exhibits animate key characters, places, and concepts in this important page in U.S. history.  

Overview

– Peek into the daily life of this radical community. Meet NAEI members, James and Dolly Stetson and their six children, revealed through a touching and inspiring four-year exchange of letters. 

National Themes

Five themes relate the story of the NAEI to national themes and events of the 1840s:

– United it its opposition to slavery and inspired by leaders including Sojourner Truth and David Ruggles, the NAEI nurtured the radical wing of the abolition movement.

– The NAEI community demonstrated an equality of race, sex, and age that was unheard of in its day.

– NAEI innovated by providing a broad curriculum and by including both boys and girls.

– By growing and spinning their own silk, NAEI members sought an alternative both to harsh factory conditions and to slave-grown cotton.

– The spirit of reform at the NAEI originated in the passionate Christianity of the Second Great Awakening.