1865 Pennsylvania State Equal Rights League Convention facts for kids
The Pennsylvania State Equal Rights League was a group formed in Pennsylvania to fight for civil rights for African Americans. This group was part of a bigger movement across the United States that wanted to make sure Black Americans had the same legal and political rights as everyone else.
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The Big Meeting in Harrisburg
The first meeting of the Pennsylvania State Equal Rights League happened in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. It took place at the Union Wesleyan Church from February 8 to 10, 1865. They had two meetings each day. The morning meeting was from 9:30 AM to 12:30 PM, and the afternoon meeting was from 2 PM to 5 PM. Each meeting started with a prayer.
Important Decisions Made
During the convention, the members made several key decisions:
- African American citizens in Pennsylvania should focus on learning about business, trade, and literature.
- Newly freed enslaved people in the South should learn about good morals and religion. They should also learn to save money and be independent. The League offered help and support to them.
- They would work hard to get the right to vote for all Black Americans across the country.
- The Pennsylvania State Equal Rights League would support the choices made by the National Equal Rights League.
They also set up rules for how future League meetings would work:
- At least one-third of the members needed to be present for decisions to be made.
- No new ideas could be discussed unless the Speaker of the Convention was there.
- No member could speak more than twice on the same topic without special permission. The first time they spoke, they had 10 minutes, and the second time, 5 minutes.
- Each member had to pay $2 to join.
- Money would be collected at the end of each meeting to help pay for the League's work.
What Came Next?
This meeting helped create and support a strong group of people who worked for equal rights. This group included both Black and white activists, though the main focus was on Black activists. The members of the convention welcomed help from "friends of Equal Rights without regard to color."
The members of the convention asked the U.S. Congress to grant full citizenship and the right to vote to Black Americans across the country. They also wrote a public message to the people of Pennsylvania. In this message, they explained why the League was formed. They called for equal rights for Black people in Pennsylvania. They reminded everyone that Black people had once been considered legal citizens of the state, and those rights had been taken away.
The convention also thanked the women who helped support their work. They especially thanked the women who helped Black soldiers who were suffering. The League promised to help these women whenever possible, even though women were not allowed to be members of the convention.
Important People Involved
Many important civil rights activists were part of this convention. These men were chosen for leadership roles within the League.
William Nesbit was chosen as the president of the League. He was very important in convincing Congress to pass the Fourteenth Amendment. This amendment gave citizenship and equal legal rights to all people born or naturalized in the U.S., including former slaves.
Octavius Catto, George B. Vashon, and Jacob C. White Jr. served as secretaries for the League over time. For this first meeting, Octavius Catto, Redman Fausett, and Alex T. Harris were the secretaries.
