One of the mandates of Reconstruction placed on the former Confederate states was that each had to write a new constitution acceptable to Congress before rejoining the Union.
The Constitution not only outlawed slavery, it "abolished imprisonment for debt, authorized universal male suffrage, gave the state its first divorce law" and, most significantly, established a "public school system for poor and rich, black and white.
What would start as week-long or seasonal "Institutes for Colored Teachers" between 1880 and 1882 would become full normal training schools within a few years.
In 1918, the first constitution was drafted, the first executive director was employed, and issuance was made for the first annual publication.
According to the constitution, the organization's three purposes were: Under the guidance of the association, the quality of teachers in Colored schools in South Carolina improved at an amazing pace.