Prince Hall facts for kids
Prince Hall (born around 1735–1738, died 1807) was a very important leader in the free Black community in Boston. He worked hard to end slavery (he was an abolitionist).
Prince Hall also started Prince Hall Freemasonry, which is a special group for Black men. He fought for education rights for African American children. He also supported the idea of Black people moving back to Africa.
Hall wanted Black people, both enslaved and free, to have a place in important parts of society like Freemasonry, education, and the military. These were very important areas in his time. He is known as the founder of "Black Freemasonry" in the United States. Hall created the African Grand Lodge of North America. He was chosen as its Grand Master and led the group until he passed away in 1807.
Many people agree that Prince Hall was one of the most important free Black leaders in the late 1700s. He is remembered for starting Black Freemasonry, fighting for equal education, and working to end slavery.
There is some confusion about when and where Prince Hall was born, and who his parents were. This is partly because there were many people named "Prince Hall" during that time.
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Early Life
Prince Hall was born sometime between 1735 and 1738. We don't know exactly where he was born or who his parents were. Prince Hall himself wrote that New England was his home. His birthday is usually celebrated on September 14.
Some historians believe that Prince Hall might have been enslaved around age 11. He may have worked for a Boston leather maker named William Hall. By 1770, Prince Hall was a free man who could read and write. He learned how to work with leather from William Hall. It is believed he was always considered a free man.
Family and Work Life
Prince Hall joined the Congregational Church in 1762. He married an enslaved woman named Sarah Ritchie, who died in 1769. He later married Flora Gibbs in 1770. Some records suggest he married a third time to Sylvia (Zilpha) Ward Hall.
In Boston, Prince Hall worked as a peddler (someone who sells things door-to-door), a caterer, and a leatherworker. He even owned his own leather shop. In 1777, he made five leather drumheads for a Boston army group. Prince Hall owned his own home, voted, and paid taxes, which showed he was a respected member of the community.
Revolutionary War
Prince Hall encouraged both enslaved and free Black people to join the American army during the American Revolutionary War. He believed that if Black people helped create the new nation, it would help them gain freedom for all.
Hall asked the Massachusetts Committee of Safety to let Black people join the military. He and others argued that the unfair laws from England were like the unfairness of slavery. Their request was first turned down.
However, England promised freedom to Black people who joined the British army. After the British army started getting many Black soldiers, the American Continental Army changed its mind. They then allowed Black people to join. It is thought that Prince Hall might have been one of the six "Prince Halls" from Massachusetts who fought in the war.
After the Revolutionary War, many African Americans hoped for racial equality, but they did not receive it. Prince Hall worked with others to suggest new laws for equal rights. He also held community events, like educational talks and theater shows, to help improve the lives of Black people.
Freemasonry
Prince Hall was interested in the Masonic group because Freemasonry was based on ideas of freedom, fairness, and peace. Before the American Revolutionary War, Prince Hall and fourteen other free Black men asked to join the all-white Boston St. John's Lodge. They were not allowed to join.
After being turned away, Hall and 15 other men were welcomed into Masonry by members of an Irish Lodge on March 6, 1775. This Lodge was part of the British army in Boston. Hall and other free Black men then started African Lodge No. 1, and Prince Hall was chosen as its Grand Master.
At first, the Black Masons had limited power. They could meet as a group, march in parades, and bury their dead with Masonic ceremonies. But they could not perform all the important tasks of a full Lodge. So, they asked the Grand Lodge of England for an official document called a charter.
The Grand Master of the Mother Grand Lodge of England gave them a charter for African Lodge No. 1 on September 29, 1784. This Lodge was later renamed African Lodge No. 459. It was the first African Masonic lodge in the country. Prince Hall also helped start other lodges in Philadelphia and Rhode Island.
After Prince Hall passed away on December 4, 1807, the members created the African Grand Lodge on June 24, 1808. This included the lodges in Philadelphia, Providence, and Boston. In 1827, the African Grand Lodge declared itself independent from all other lodges. In 1847, they changed their name to Prince Hall Grand Lodge to honor their founder.
Prince Hall is known as the "father of African Freemasonry." He taught his members to respect those in power, be fair, and be faithful. But he also said, "worship no man. Worship God."
Community Activism
Prince Hall worked hard in politics to help Black people. He wanted to end slavery and protect free Black people from being kidnapped and sold into slavery. He also suggested a "back-to-Africa" movement and pushed for equal education. He even ran a school for African Americans in his own home.
He often spoke in public and debated, using Christian teachings to argue against slavery to lawmakers who were mostly Christian.
Education
Hall asked the Massachusetts Congress to create a school program for Black children. He used the same argument that was used to fight the American Revolution: "Taxation without Representation." This meant that if Black people paid taxes, they should have a say in how things were run, including education.
Hall and other Black Bostonians wanted a separate school. They wanted to avoid white supremacy and create well-educated Black citizens. Even though Hall's arguments made sense, his two attempts to pass a law for this school failed. So, Hall started a school program for free Black children in his own home. This school focused on subjects like liberal arts and classical education.
Speeches and Petitions
Prince Hall was known for giving powerful speeches and writing important requests (petitions). In a speech to the Boston African Masonic Lodge, Hall said, "My brethren, let us not be cast down under these and many other abuses we at present labour under: for the darkest is before the break of day..." He encouraged them to remember the struggles of their African brothers and sisters.
His important written works include the 1792 Charge and 1797 Charge. In his 1792 Charge, Hall focused on ending slavery in Massachusetts. He also talked about how important it was for Black leaders to help shape the country and create unity. In his 1797 Charge, Hall wrote about the unfair treatment and hostility that Black people faced in the United States. He also recognized Black revolutionaries in the Haitian Revolution. Hall was one of several free Black people in Massachusetts who asked the government in 1788 to stop African-American sailors from being sold into slavery.
In a speech he gave in June 1797, Hall spoke about the daily insults Black people faced in Boston:
Patience, I say; for were we not possessed of a great measure of it, we could not bear up under the daily insults we meet with in the streets of Boston, much more on public days of recreation. How, at such times, are we shamefully abused, and that to such a degree, that we may truly be said to carry our lives in our hands, and the arrows of death are flying about our heads. ...tis not for want of courage in you, for they know that they dare not face you man for man, but in a mob.
Back to Africa Movement
Prince Hall was also involved in the Back-to-Africa movement. He asked the government for money to help Black people move voluntarily to Africa. In January 1773, Prince Hall and 73 other African-American representatives asked the Massachusetts Senate to support this idea. They argued that African Americans were better suited to Africa's climate and way of life, but this request failed.
Later, when a group of free Black men tried to travel to Africa but were captured, Hall's interest in the movement grew again. However, he found that there wasn't enough support for the Back-to-Africa movement to make it happen at that time.
Copp's Hill Burying Ground
Prince Hall passed away in 1807. He is buried in Copp's Hill Burying Ground in Boston, along with other important people from the colonial era. Thousands of other African Americans who lived nearby are also buried there in unmarked graves.
A special monument was put up in Copp's Hill on June 24, 1835, next to his grave. The words on it say: "Here lies ye body of Prince Hall, first Grand Master of the colored Grand Lodge in Mass. Died Dec. 7, 1807." However, newspaper reports from the time show that Hall actually died on December 4 and was buried three days later. His wife, Sylvia (Zilpha) Ward Hall, managed his small estate after he died.
Images for kids
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Prince Hall Monument in Copp's Hill Burying Ground
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Prince Hall's tombstone in Copp's Hill Burying Ground
