Pennsylvania Society For Promoting The Abolition of Slavery - The Oldest Abolition Society (1911)
Pennsylvania Society For Promoting The Abolition of Slavery - The Oldest Abolition Society (1911)
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The Oldest
Abolition
BEING A
Society
SHORT STORY
OF THE LABORS OF THE
Pennsylvania Society for Promoting the Abolition of Slavery, the Relief of Free Negroes Unlawfully Held in Bondage, and for
Philadelphia, Pa.
ORGANIZED
Two
Early Presidents
IN
1773
Dr.
Benjamin Rush,
Philadelphia, Pa.
CONDITIONS OF MEMBERSHIP
Members may be proposed at any meeting of the Board of Managers. After being elected, the paying of an annual fee of $1.00 constitutes the only requirement. For further particulars apply to any
of the officers.
The Oldest
Abolition
Society
When the war for independence began, and while the Continental Congress was busy considering the
man, and was formulating axiomatic statements about liberty and equality, ten thousand slaves were held by Pennsylvania task-masters, and
rights of
a half a million of our black brothers and sisters were bound to service in all of the American colonies. Slavery existed at that time in every one of
the original thirteen states, which a Httle later helped form "the more perfect union."
It is true
that
many
and the early constitutional period, both in the North and in the South, regretted the presence of the peculiar institution, and hoped for its future
nial
disappearance.
Among
this
slaveholders, such as
and Patrick As an offset to this nominal anti-slaverv sentiment, was a collection of vigorous and united men from what later became the "cotton states," who noisily and belligerently contended for the maintenance of the institution They secured the constitutional guarantees for slavery, and were the
Henry.
sires of
Thomas
the
men who
effort to
In more ways than one the year 1775 stands out boldly as an epoch in the development of the abolition
lin,
movement.
During
this
on the 14th of Fourth month a small group of men, mostly members, of the Society of Friends, organized the "Pennsylvania Society for Promoting the Abolition of Slavery, the Relief of Free Negroes Unlawfully Held in Bondage, and for Improving the Condition of the African Race." The long name adopted by the Society contained a broad commission, and afforded ample reason for its continued existence.
a fitful
for
lutionary period.
tive until
count of the excitement and exigencies of the revoIt remained unknown and inac-
it
was
reorganized,
present time.
in 1789.
During
this year
now
the Philadelphia
Yearly Meeting sent a memorial in behalf of the abolition of slavery to the infant United States Congress.
by
venerable President, Benjamin Franklin, apeared in the Congress. This was one of the last
official
and diplo-
mat, as in a few weeks Franklin passed away. This petition was almost a prophetic document. Its initial paragraph was aHve with the spirit which
inspired
of Inde-
pendence.
'
We
quote:
!-
''From a persuasion that equal liberty was originally the portion, and is still the birthright of all men, and influenced by the strongest ties of humanity, and the principles of their institution, your
memorialists conceive themselves bound to use all endeavors to loosen the bands of slavery and to promote a general enjoyment of the blessing of freedom. Under these impressions, they earnestly entreat your serious attention to the subject of slavery, that you would be pleased to countenance the restoration of liberty to those unhappy men, who alone in this land of freedom are degraded into perpetual bondage, and who amidst the general joy of surrounding freemen, are groaning in servile subjection that you will devise means for removing this inconsistency from the character of the American people; that you will promote
justifiable
;
mercy and justice towards this distressed race, and that you will step to the very verge of the powers
vested in you, for discouraging every species of traffic in the persons of our fellow men."
During the lapse of nearly a century and a quardocument was formulated, it is doubtful if the major and controlling public opinion of the country has caught up with the ideals voiced by
Both the Quaker memorial and the AboHtion Society's petition were debated vigoriously in Congress.
Some
of the ultra
One
representative con-
temptuously remarked that the Quakers had appeared in Congress "to meddle in a business in which they had nothing to do." This utterance contained all the venom in solution which finally characterized pro-slavery oratory and literature. It has to be said, however, that the memorial and the petition were referred to the proper committee, by a substantial majority, and were finally reported back to the House. The report was properly spread on the records as a sort of historical milepost, no other action being accorded either the memorial or the petition. There is little reason to believe that at any subsequent time for three-quarters of a century even that much consideration would have been shown an anti-slavery petition by the
National Congress.
Another forward movement was taken by the AbA committee of twenty1789. four members, divided into four sub-committees, was to give attention to the following concerns: ''ist. A Committee of Inspection, whose duty
olition Society in
should be to superintend the morals, general conduct, and ordirary situation of the free negroes, to afford them advice and instruction, and protect them from wrongs." "2d. A Committee of Guardians, for placing out children with suitable persons, that they may learn some trade, or other means of subsistence by regular but reasonable apprenticeship." 3d. A Committee of Education, who were to superintend the school instruction of the children and youth of free blacks. This branch of the committee was also charged to procure and preserve a regular record of the marriages, births sions of all free blacks."
and manumis-
''4th. A Committee of Employ, who were to endeavor to procure constant employment for those free negroes who are able to work, the want of which would occasion poverty, idleness and many
vicious habits."
Pennsylvania having enacted a gradual emancipation law in 1780, in 1791 a bill was introduced in the Assembly, which if made a law would have permitted officers of the United States Government
to hold slaves in this state.
The Abolition
Society
organized and conducted a vigorous opposition to the bill, which was subsequently defeated. The
Society thus scored
victory.
its first
substantial legislative
813 the Society opened a school in a building erected for the purpose on Cherry Street, for the
In
1
education of colored children. In 1 8 1 5 by resolution of the Society, this building was named Clarkson
,
Hall, in
Clarkson.
There are frequent references to memorials to the Legislature and Congress on various phases of the
Abohtion question, but the Society had its period of ups and downs, the gradual emancipation in Pennsylvania rendering its local work less necessary.
to come over the whole country after the invention of the cotton gin,
and the enlarged financial interest thus conferred upon the institution of slavery, had its effect upon
the Society. In 1818, when the colonization movement was inaugurated, the Society gave some attention to the matter, but with no very active sympathy in the
movement. It seems to have, in the main, approved the position of the American Anti-Slavery Convention, that emancipation should precede colonization.
It futile
free state.
In 1820, the Society memorialized the Legislature for the immediate abolition of
all
slaves in the
still
Commonwealth
of Pennsylvania,
who were
by legislative
res-
who
was
suggested that this state prohibit the settlement of people of color within its borders. A committee of the Abolition Society replied somewhat vigorously
to this strange suggestion of Maryland.
in condemnaSouth Carolina for its treatment of free colered people coming into the state from outside its borders. It was provided by statute that any free person of color entering the state on a vessel or otherwise, should be committed and detained in jail until the departure of the vessel, and if the expenses connected with the detention of such person were not paid, they would be sold into slavery. The Society was energetic in memorializing Con-
tion of
District of Columbia.
It also
Lundy when
he began his abolition propaganda by the publication of 'The Genius of Universal Emancipation."
With the
manv
free colored
people were subjected to annoyances, and were not infrequently kidnapped. The Pennsylvania Abolition Society was energetic in petitioning the Legislature for a redress of these grievances.
be conceived that the Pennsylvania was, in the main, a conservative institution, standing firmly in favor of gradual emancipation, but when the full-fledged emancipaIt
may
Abolition
Societ}'^,
tion of slavery appeared on the scene, it gave support to the question of immediate emancipation
more
people, and a committee was appointed to visit such persons in their families, public meetings and
mation
in regard to the
same.
With the
the Pennsylvania Society more and more lined up with the ideals contained in its name, and anticipated in its charter. Its roll of members contained
the names of a
tionists in
its
number
of the
our
own and
members
to citizens of Pennsylvania.
From
Thomas
Clarkson, Gran-
of England,
members.
R. Giddings, William Lloyd Garrison and Frederick Douglass, were on the roll, and at an earlier period John Jay, of New York, first Chief Justice of the United States, was not ashamed to be associated with the
Among
came
men
and famous
as
Hopper, Daniel Neal, James Mott and Edward Hopper. Going back to the colonial and early constitutional period, we find Dr. George Logan, grandson of Penn's secretary, and for six years United In the Hstof States senator, among the members. story, will be found ot^cers given further on in this not a few famous Pennsylvanians. During the period from 1835 until the abolition of slavery, the Abolition Society was more or less effective in most of the efforts looking towards
emancipation.
In the "petition"
campaign,
for-
this
After the passage of the fugitive slave law by Congress in 1851, there was consternation among the colored people of Philadelphia, for fear that the
of the
from slavery
who might be
the AboHtion
resident here.
So.'^iety
iiig
upon the race. This address was distributed by the Society's Visiting Committee in person. The Acting Committee of the Society did a large
flicted
from 1849 on to the attempting to secure justice for free negroes who were harrassed by kidnappers, and in securing the liberation of such of them as were actually stolen by kidnappers. It
of
in the period
amount
coming
work
of the Civil
War,
in
also
made
of three free
folk,
confined in
jail
at Nor-
sea captain to
efforts of the
them
into slavery.
Many of the
It is interesting to note that in 1852, the Society disbursed $5,378.12 in its various activities, the larger part being for educational purposes. In 1856 the Society issued a report being a statistical inquiry into the cordition of the colored people in Philadelphia. Tl e report was prepared
by Benjamin
the Society.
pilation, especially so in view of the fact that there were a number of private schools conducted at that time for the benefit of the colored people. There were in the Sabbath Schools of the city, 1,677
colored children, and at that time 9,000 adult colored persons over twenty years of age residing in
Philadelphia.
About one-seventh of them were More than one-third of them were born in slavery, and one-eighth of the number had been manumitted. There were i,6oo and over engaged in work as skilled laborers. The report went quite extensively into the criminal staable to read and write.
tistics of
represented seventeen per cent, of the criminal population in the Eastern Penitentiary.
As nearly as we can ascertain from the records and published statements of the Society from time to time, it is evident that at the beginning and for the major part of its existence, it was purely a men's
organization.
the names of
the
than a generation ago that its roll of members. For an organization at the beginning, and all along
It is less
women appear on
composed
line, so largely
ing of
It
women
some time
should be remembered that it was not until after the civil war, that colored people
were accorded transit privileges on the Philadelphia street cars. In the effort to remove this repressive rule, and permit colored persons to be passengers on these public service conveyances, the Abolition Society bore an honorable part. From time to time the Pennsylvania Abolition
Society has received certain bequests, the proceeds of w^hich it has distributed according: to its best
judgment
for the
color in Philadelphia
of
In 1894, in addition to
Society became the trustee of the Laing School at Mt. Pleasant, South Carolina. This relation was created at the request of the late
Henry M, Laing.
The
all of the school property at Mt. Pleasant, occupied by the colored school managed by Abby D. Munro. It also holds and administers the endowment fund of the Laing School, paying the proceeds to the manager of the
school.
its
own
income, and the administration of the Laing School fund, has constituted the bulk of the Society's labors.
That
its
work under
could be very
much
From various statements in the past literature of the Pennsylvania Abolition Society, the assertion seems warranted that it was the first regularly organized society in this country formed with the purpose to produce the elimination of the institu-
from the United States. With an honorable but quiet record for 136 years behind it, if one were writing prophesy rather than history, the temptation would be strong to suggest an intion of slavery
the Soc'ety.
It
efforts to
remove race
efforts in behalf of
The
cers,
following list contains the names of the offiexcepting Vice Presidents, from the founding
of the Society
down
to date:
Presidents
Jr.
Thomas Meredith,
Dr. Benjamin Rush, Jonathan Penrose,
Dr. Joseph Parrish Dillwyn Parrish Passmore Williamson 1 William Still Howard M. Jenkins
Samuel
Secretaries
Abraham
L.
Pennock
Jr.
James Mott,
Rlakey Sharpless
James Todd Benjamin Kite Walter Franklin Timothy Paxson James Milnor Samuel Harvey John Bacon
^The only colored
Thomas Ridgway
Samuel Mason,
Jr.
man who
Secretaries, (Continued)
Edward Hopper
Lewis C. Gunn Dr. Joshua Rhoad*
Daniel Neall,
Jr.
Caleb Clothier
Thomas Phipps
Henry Troth Peter Wright
Howard Roberts
54
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