Robert Purvis facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Robert Purvis
|
|
|---|---|
Purvis c.1840–1849
|
|
| Born | August 4, 1810 |
| Died | April 15, 1898 (aged 87) |
| Nationality | American |
| Known for | Abolitionist, Underground Railroad |
| Spouse(s) | Harriet Forten Purvis Tracy Townsend |
| Children | 8, including Harriet Purvis, Jr., Charles Burleigh Purvis |
| Signature | |
.png) |
|
Robert Purvis (August 4, 1810 – April 15, 1898) was an important American leader who worked to end slavery. He was known as an abolitionist.
Purvis was born in Charleston, South Carolina. He spent most of his life in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. In 1833, he helped start the American Anti-Slavery Society. This group worked to stop slavery across the United States. He also helped create the Library Company of Colored People. From 1845 to 1850, he led the Pennsylvania Anti-Slavery Society. He even traveled to Britain to get more support for the anti-slavery movement.
Robert Purvis had a mixed background. His father was British, and his mother was a free woman of color. She had Moroccan and Jewish roots. His parents could not legally marry because of racial laws at the time. When his father died, Robert and his brothers inherited a lot of money. They chose to use their wealth and education to fight against slavery. They also supported projects to help African Americans get better education and opportunities.
Contents
Early Life and Family
Robert Purvis was born in 1810 in Charleston, South Carolina. His grandmother, Dido Badaraka, was kidnapped from Morocco when she was 12. She was brought to South Carolina on a slave ship and sold into slavery. She was later freed. Robert's grandfather, Baron Judah, was a Jewish American from Charleston.
Robert's mother, Harriet Judah, was born free. His father, William Purvis, was from Great Britain. William became a rich cotton salesman in Charleston. He and Harriet lived together as husband and wife. However, laws at the time stopped them from getting married because of their different races.
Robert had two brothers, William and Joseph. In 1819, their family moved to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The boys went to the Clarkson School there. Their father wanted them to be educated as gentlemen. He planned to move the family back to Britain, where he thought his sons would have more chances. Sadly, he died in 1826 before they could move.
Robert and Joseph likely went to Amherst Academy, a school in Massachusetts. After their father passed away, they inherited a large amount of money. They used this wealth to support their fight against slavery and to help their community.
Marriage and Family Life
.jpg)
In 1832, Robert Purvis married Harriet Davy Forten. She was also a woman of color from a well-known family in Philadelphia. Her parents, James and Charlotte Forten, were important abolitionists. Harriet was very active in anti-slavery groups, like the Philadelphia Female Anti-Slavery Society. This group included both black and white women.
Robert and Harriet had eight children. One of their sons, Charles Burleigh Purvis, became a surgeon and a professor at Howard University. They also raised Harriet's niece, Charlotte Forten Grimké, after her mother died. Harriet Forten Purvis later gave speeches against segregation (keeping people of different races apart). She also spoke for the right of all citizens to vote.
After Harriet died, Robert Purvis married Tacie Townsend. She was of European descent. This marriage caused some discussion among people who believed in strict racial separation.
Robert Purvis's Political Work
Fighting for Freedom
In 1833, Robert Purvis helped William Lloyd Garrison start the American Anti-Slavery Society. He signed their "Declaration of Sentiments," which stated their beliefs against slavery. Purvis lived a long life and was the last person alive who had signed this important document.
In 1838, he wrote a powerful message called "Appeal of Forty Thousand Citizens." This message asked the state of Pennsylvania to change a new law. This law stopped free African Americans from voting. Even though Pennsylvania was a free state, some lawmakers tried to limit the rights of black citizens. Free black men in Pennsylvania did not get the right to vote back until 1870, after the Civil War.
From 1845 to 1850, Purvis led the Pennsylvania Anti-Slavery Society. This group had both black and white members.
Helping on the Underground Railroad
Robert Purvis was a strong supporter of the Underground Railroad. This was a secret network that helped enslaved people escape to freedom. From 1852 to 1857, he led the General Vigilance Committee. This group directly helped people who had escaped slavery.
Purvis kept records of his work. He estimated that from 1831 to 1861, he helped about one enslaved person escape every day. This means he helped more than 9,000 people find freedom in the North. He used his own house in Byberry Township, outside Philadelphia, as a safe stop on the Underground Railroad. He also built Byberry Hall nearby, which hosted anti-slavery speakers.
One of the people he helped was Thomas J. Dorsey. Dorsey later became a very successful caterer in Philadelphia. Robert Purvis was also friends with Thomas's son, William Henry Dorsey, who was an artist and collected a lot of Black history.
Supporting Other Rights
Purvis believed in many other important causes besides ending slavery. He worked with Lucretia Mott to support women's rights and the right for women to vote. He was a member of the American Equal Rights Association. He also went to the first meeting of the Pennsylvania Woman Suffrage Association.
He also supported the temperance movement, which worked to reduce alcohol use. Robert Purvis believed that all groups of people should work together for a better society. After the Civil War ended and slavery was abolished, Purvis was in his late 50s. He became less active in politics but his legacy lived on.
Lombard Street Riot
In 1842, there was a three-day riot in Philadelphia. Some Irish immigrants, who were often competing for low-paying jobs, attacked successful African Americans. They saw them as showing off their success.
The rioters set fires and attacked police. They headed for Robert Purvis's home. They protested outside his house for 40 hours. It is said that a Catholic priest helped save Purvis and his home from the angry crowd.
Later Life and Legacy
Sadly, neither of Robert Purvis's older sons lived past the American Civil War. They were buried in a burial ground in Philadelphia. Robert Purvis himself was buried there in 1898, along with his wife Harriet and daughter Georgianna.
The state of Pennsylvania and the National Park Service remember Robert Purvis for his important work against slavery. His efforts helped shape a more just America.
See also
