Arthur Tappan facts for kids
Arthur Tappan (born May 22, 1786 – died July 23, 1865) was an important American businessman. He was also a philanthropist, meaning he gave a lot of money to good causes. Most importantly, he was a strong abolitionist. This means he worked hard to end slavery in the United States.
Arthur was the brother of Senator Benjamin Tappan and fellow abolitionist Lewis Tappan. He was also the great-grandfather of the famous writer Thornton Wilder.
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Arthur Tappan's Early Life and Business
Arthur Tappan was born in Northampton, Massachusetts. His parents, Benjamin and Sarah Tappan, were very religious. They followed the Calvinist faith.
When he was 15, Arthur moved to Boston. In 1807, he started his own dry goods business in Portland, Maine.
Starting Businesses in New York City
In 1826, Arthur and his brother Lewis moved to New York City. This city was becoming a major center for business. They started a successful business importing silk.
In 1827, the brothers also founded a newspaper. It was called the New York Journal of Commerce. They started it with Samuel Morse, who invented the telegraph. The Tappan brothers wanted their newspaper to be free of "immoral advertisements."
Facing Challenges for His Beliefs
Arthur and Lewis Tappan were successful in business. But they cared more about helping people than making money.
In 1831, a mob attacked Arthur Tappan's summer home. This happened in New Haven, Connecticut. The mob was angry because he supported a plan. This plan was to create a college for African Americans in New Haven.
The Tappan brothers also faced attacks in 1834. Mobs attacked their property during the anti-abolitionist riots. Arthur Tappan was the president of the American Anti-Slavery Society. After these riots, he stated that the society wanted to end slavery using existing laws.
Overcoming Financial Difficulties
In 1837, there was a big financial crisis. It was called the Panic of 1837. Arthur Tappan lost a lot of money. Because of this, he and Lewis had to close their silk business.
But the brothers did not give up. In the 1840s, they started a new successful business. They opened the first commercial credit-rating service. It was called the Mercantile Agency. This company was a early version of Dun and Bradstreet.
Arthur Tappan's Fight Against Slavery
The Tappan brothers were known for their business success. But they were even more famous for their work in abolitionism. They spent a lot of time and money on many good causes.
Supporting Important Causes
They supported the temperance movement, which worked to reduce alcohol use. They also worked to end slavery. The Tappans helped new colleges in the western parts of the country. These included the Oneida Institute, Lane Theological Seminary, and Oberlin Collegiate Institute.
Their religious beliefs also led them to campaign. They wanted to stop stagecoach and mail services on Sundays. They believed Sundays should be a day of rest.
Leading the Anti-Slavery Movement
In 1833, Arthur Tappan helped start the American Anti-Slavery Society. He was one of its main owners of the Journal of Commerce. He co-founded the society with William Lloyd Garrison. Arthur was the first president of this important group.
Because of his strong anti-slavery work, some people hated him. In 1835, there was a reward of $20,000 offered for his capture. This money would be paid to anyone who delivered him to New Orleans.
In 1840, Arthur Tappan left the American Anti-Slavery Society. He disagreed with the society's new support for women's suffrage (the right for women to vote).
Continuing the Fight for Freedom
Arthur and his brother continued their work against slavery. In 1840, they founded the American and Foreign Anti-Slavery Society. In 1846, they started the American Missionary Association.
When the Fugitive Slave Law of 1850 was passed, Arthur Tappan refused to follow it. This law forced people to return escaped enslaved people. Instead, he gave money to the Underground Railroad. The Underground Railroad was a secret network. It helped enslaved people escape to freedom.
The Tappans' views on slavery were not popular everywhere. In 1834, a mob attacked Lewis Tappan's home in New York. They threw his furniture into the street and burned it.
The Tappans and their newspaper also faced criticism. This happened when they campaigned to free the Africans. These Africans had taken over the slave ship Amistad in 1839. A rival newspaper, the New York Morning Herald, strongly criticized them.
Arthur Tappan died in 1865. His brother Lewis died in 1873. Both brothers lived long enough to see slavery end in the United States. The Emancipation Proclamation and the 13th Amendment made millions of African Americans free. Arthur Tappan is buried in the Grove Street Cemetery in New Haven.
See also
In Spanish: Arthur Tappan para niños
