Rising Free

African American History
in South Central
Pennsylvania:
the 19th Century

T. R. McIntosh --"Mac"-- taught in the Harrisburg School District for more than forty years before his recent retirement.  Decrying the lack of references to ethnic minorities and women in his school social studies texts, Mac supplemented his teachings with material from his extensive reference collection.  The following reference article was produced as a supplement to his session on Harrisburg's developing anti-slavery role at the February 2002 Underground Railroad and Abolition Seminars at Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. 

Significant Dates

1775

Manumission Society (later Pennsylvania Abolition Society) founded, mostly by Quakers.

1780

Pennsylvania General Assembly commits the state to the eventual abolition of slavery in this state.

1787

Pennsylvania Abolition Society asks Benjamin Franklin, Delegate to the Constitutional Convention, to include abolition of the slave trade in the new Constitution.

1788

New Constitution includes three references to slavery:
"Three-fifths" compromise, end of the slave trade by 1808, fugitive slave return provision.

1790

First U.S. Census figures:
State listed about 10,000 Negroes, about one-fourth free
Philadelphia listed 1630 Negroes, only 210 slaves

1810-1850

Estimated 100,000 slaves escaped on the Underground Railroad.
Estimated value of $30,000,000.
Included Harriet Tubman, famous Conductor, who made 19 trips to the South and aided more than 300 slaves to escape, including her mother and father.

1816

Foundation of the American Colonization Society to deport freed American slaves to Africa. Eventually led to the foundation of Liberia in Africa.

1830

William Lloyd Garrison lectured in Philadelphia and engendered strong Abolitionist movement.

1832-1849

Five anti-Negro riots in Philadelphia to oppose and protest Abolitionist movement.

1833

Foundation of American Anti-Slavery Society and Philadelphia Female Anti-Slavery Society.

1836

Beginning of anti-slavery newspaper, known as National Enquirer and Constitutional Advocate of Universal Liberty in Philadelphia, patterned after The Liberator, founded in Boston in 1831 by William Lloyd Garrison. Title converted to Pennsylvania Freeman in 1838 when James Greenleaf Whittier became the editor.

1837

Convention in Harrisburg to organize the Pennsylvania Anti-Slavery Society.

1838

Burning of Pennsylvania Hall in Philadelphia, erected by Abolitionists (Black and White, male and female), only four days after it was opened.

1840

Foundation of Liberty Party to oppose slavery. Ran candidates in elections until disbanded in 1847.

1847

Frederick Douglass and William Lloyd Garrison lectured in Harrisburg and received a rather rough reception.

1850

The Federal Fugitive Slave Law polarized the Pro-Slavery and Anti-Slavery factions in the United States and was one of the steps toward the terrible Civil War.

Go to:
Significant Dates for Harrisburg and Dauphin County (part 2)
Bibliography on Pennsylvania African-American History
Bibliography on Harrisburg & Dauphin County