Pennsylvania Anti-Slavery Society facts for kids
The Pennsylvania Anti-Slavery Society was a group formed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in 1838. Its main goal was to end slavery in the United States.
Important people who helped start the Society included James Mott, Lucretia Mott, Robert Purvis, and John C. Bowers. These founders worked hard to fight against slavery and for equal rights.
One of the Society's clerks, William Still, had a powerful experience in 1850. He was helping a person who had escaped slavery, named "Peter Freedman." As Still listened to Freedman's story, he realized that this person was his own long-lost brother. This moment made Still even more determined to help others escape. He began to write down the stories of people he helped through the Underground Railroad. Later, in 1872, he published these stories in a book called The Underground Rail Road Records. This book helped show the brave journeys of those seeking freedom.
In 1855, William Still and another Society member, Passmore Williamson, helped a woman named Jane Johnson escape slavery. She was in Philadelphia with her master, a well-known politician named John Hill Wheeler. This event was a big challenge to a law called the Fugitive Slave Law of 1850. This law said that people had to return escaped enslaved people to their masters.
The case caused a lot of discussion. Passmore Williamson was put in jail for several months because he helped Jane Johnson. Even from jail, Williamson continued to speak out against slavery. Important people like Frederick Douglass visited him there.
Robert Purvis, an African American leader whose father was a wealthy white businessman, was also a very important member of the Pennsylvania Anti-Slavery Society throughout its history. He worked tirelessly for the cause of freedom.
How the Society Helped
The Pennsylvania Anti-Slavery Society played a big part in the movement to end slavery. They held meetings, gave speeches, and published writings to convince people that slavery was wrong. They also helped many enslaved people find freedom.
The Underground Railroad
The Society worked closely with the Underground Railroad. This was a secret network of safe houses and routes. It helped enslaved people travel from the Southern states, where slavery was legal, to free states or Canada. The Society provided support, shelter, and guidance to those seeking freedom.
Fighting Unfair Laws
The Society also fought against laws that supported slavery, like the Fugitive Slave Law. They believed that everyone deserved to be free. Their actions helped to bring about important changes in the country.
See also
- Pennsylvania Hall (Philadelphia)
- Philadelphia Nativist Riots
- Pennsylvania Abolition Society
- American Anti-Slavery Society
