Richard Henry Pratt
Richard Henry Pratt | |
|---|---|
Pratt as a United States Army lieutenant in 1879 | |
| Born | December 6, 1840 Rushford, New York |
| Died | March 15, 1924 (aged 83) Letterman Army Hospital, California |
| Buried | |
| Allegiance | United States Union |
| Service | United States Army Union Army |
| Years of service | 1861–1903 |
| Rank | Brigadier-General (Regular Army) Captain (United States Volunteers) |
| Commands | Carlisle Indian Industrial School |
| Spouse(s) | Anna Laura |
| Signature | |
Brigadier-General Richard Henry Pratt (December 6, 1840 – March 15, 1924) was a United States Army officer who founded the Carlisle Indian Industrial School in Pennsylvania in 1879 and served as its longtime superintendent. Prior to this, Pratt supervised Native American prisoners of war held at Fort Marion in St. Augustine, Florida. He is known for using the phrase "kill the Indian, save the man" in reference to the ethos of the school and efforts to forcibly assimilate Native Americans into white American culture. Pratt is also associated with the first recorded use of the word "racism," which he used in 1902 to criticize racial segregation in the United States.