The Choctaw Freedmen and the Story of Oak Hill Industrial Academy

"The Choctaw Freedmen and the Story of Oak Hill Industrial Academy" by Robert Elliott Flickinger is a history that explores the creation and growth of Oak Hill Industrial Academy, a school created to educate the Choctaw Freedmen in what was then Indian Territory. The story paints a picture of the Five Civilized Tribes in Oklahoma, and focuses on the work of the Presbyterian Church, showing how important education, religion, and improving society were to them. The book begins by talking about the people who started the Academy, telling its early story and how it came to be in 1886. It introduces key figures like Miss Eliza Hartford, the first teacher, and Parson Charles W. Stewart, important people in the church and the education of the Choctaw Freedmen. The story emphasizes the change from slavery to freedom through education and independence, and shows the difficulties the Freedmen faced as they tried to find their place in a changing world. The beginning sets the stage for the rest of the book, suggesting it will explore the Academy's successes and challenges.