Martha B. Briggs

Martha Bailey Briggs (March 31, 1838 – March 28, 1889) was an American educator who was born and educated in New Bedford, Massachusetts, where she taught formerly enslaved men and women to read and write. In 1869, she moved to Washington, D.C., where she taught and served as a principal at Anthony Bowen Elementary School until 1873, Shortly after his emancipation, Frederick Douglass worked with John Briggs in New Bedford. She was the first African American to graduate from her high school. She received teacher education at the Bridgewater Normal School.

Career in Washington, DC In 1869, Briggs moved to Washington, D.C., where she quickly became both teacher and principal at the Anthony Bowen Elementary School, which permitted children of color to attend. A personnel roster for Howard lists her degree as D.D. a group of citizens, led by Frederick Douglass,