George James Adams facts for kids

George James Adams (born February 17, 1811 – died January 17, 1888) was an important businessman from Rhode Island. He worked in textile factories and also ran a copper mine. A very important part of his life was his fight against slavery. In 1858, he bought the freedom of Bethany Veney and her son, Joe. He then helped them move from Virginia to Providence, Rhode Island. George Adams was an abolitionist, meaning he worked to end slavery. He supported a newspaper called The Liberator and was part of groups that fought against slavery.

Adams' Early Life

George James Adams was born on February 17, 1811. His hometown was Bristol, Rhode Island. His parents were Sarah Martindale and Captain James Harvey Adams. His mother, Sarah, had been married before. She passed away in 1834.

Adams' Business Career

George Adams worked in many different textile factories. These factories made cloth and printed designs on it. He worked at places like Adams Print Works in Fiskeville, Rhode Island and Kent Print Works in East Greenwich, Rhode Island.

Around 1836, Adams worked at the Arkwright Cotton Mills. From 1848 to 1854, he was the main manager at Narragansett Print Works. Later, from 1856 to 1882, he was the treasurer of Greenwich Print Works. This meant he managed the money for the company. In the 1860s and 1870s, he worked at Orion Cotton Mills in Providence, Rhode Island. He also owned part of a company called Rhode Island Beach and Dye Works. Adams was also a cotton broker, which means he bought and sold cotton.

In the 1850s, George Adams and a partner named J. Butterworth became interested in copper mining. They reopened a mine near Stony Man Mountain.

Helping Bethany Veney

While in Virginia, Adams met Bethany Veney. She was an African American woman who was enslaved. Her owner, David McCoy, needed to sell some of his property. After talking with his wife, Adams decided to buy Bethany and her son, Joe. He paid $775 for their freedom on December 27, 1858.

After they were freed, Bethany and Joe moved north with Adams. They came to his house in Providence, Rhode Island. Bethany worked there as a housekeeper for some time. Bethany Veney later wrote a book about her life called Aunt Betty's Story: The Narrative of Bethany Veney, A Slave Woman.

Fighting Against Slavery

George Adams was a strong abolitionist. This means he believed that slavery was wrong and worked to end it. He talked with others about important events, like the slave uprising on the ship La Amistad in 1839.

Adams was a leader in groups that fought against slavery. He was an officer and director of the Rhode Island Anti-Slavery Society. He was also a secretary for the Union Anti-Slavery Society in Fiskeville. He also supported The Liberator, a famous newspaper that spoke out against slavery.

Adams' Family Life

George Adams married Mary Hodges Brown. They had three children: Sarah M., George H., and John B. Adams. Around 1865, Adams bought a house in the College Hill Historic District in Providence.

In 1873, his wife Mary became very ill. Bethany Veney, whom Adams had helped free, returned to care for her friend. Mary passed away that same year. After Mary's death, Bethany returned to Worcester. Later, Adams married a second time to Cornelia Dean.

Adams was interested in many different things. These included ships, electricity, and even how the mind works. He passed away at the age of 76 on January 17, 1888, in Rhode Island.

Today, many of George James Adams' personal and business papers are kept at Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island.

See also

• Hannah Adams, half-sister of Captain James Hervey Adams