Abner Hunt Francis (1813 – March 28, 1872) was an African-American abolitionist and entrepreneur who fought for equality in

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Oregon Oregon () is a U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. The Columbia River delineates much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington (state), Washington, while the Snake River delineates much of it ...

, and

British Columbia British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. It has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include rocky coastlines, sandy beaches, ...

. He was a founding member of an anti-slavery institution, businessman, and became the first black lawmaker in British Columbia.

Early life

Abner Hunt Francis was born on a small farm outside of Flemington, New Jersey around 1813. The success of his father's farm afforded Abner the opportunity to receive a "good English" education. Upon finishing his education in New Jersey, Francis moved to

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where he furthered his education in mathematics and bookkeeping, and trained as a tailor.

Abolitionist work

Throughout his life, Abner Hunt Francis was an influential leader of the Black community. While in New Jersey, Francis protested the American Colonization Society, acted as an agent for the ''Liberator,'' and attended national black conventions. Francis later became a founding member of the Buffalo Anti-Slavery Society and sought progressive change such as school integration and even coordinated a state suffrage campaign. Moreover, Francis corresponded with

Frederick Douglass Frederick Douglass (born Frederick Augustus Washington Bailey, February 1817 or 1818 – February 20, 1895) was an American social reformer, abolitionist, orator, writer, and statesman. After escaping from slavery in Maryland, he became ...

, talking about abolitionist movements and the state of the nation. Abner's wife, Sydna Edmonia Robella Dandrich Francis was also an activist. She was a prominent leader in the women’s suffrage movement and worked toward the abolition of slavery. In addition to working alongside Abner, Sydna was the secretary of the Female Dorcas Society and president of the Ladies' Literary and Progressive Improvement Society of Buffalo. In addition, Sydna E.R. Francis's work was sometimes published in Frederik Douglass's newspaper, '' The North Star.''

West Coast migration and activism

Abner Hunt Francis arrived with his wife and brother, I.B. Francis (Isaac B. Francis), in

Portland, Oregon Portland (, ) is a port city in the Pacific Northwest and the largest city in the U.S. state of Oregon. Situated at the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers, Portland is the county seat of Multnomah County, the most populous co ...

in 1851. Abner and his family were among the only African-American residents in the city. Shortly after opening their boarding house, Abner's brother was jailed for violating the territorial exclusion law of 1849. The family was subsequently ordered to appear in front of Justice

Orville C. Pratt Orville C. Pratt (April 24, 1819 – October 1891) was an American jurist and attorney. He served as the 2nd Associate Justice of the Oregon Supreme Court serving from 1848 to 1852. He wrote the lone dissenting opinion in the controversy over the ...

who ordered their removal from the territory within 4 months. In December 1851, an exception petition signed by 225 Oregon residents was presented to the territorial legislature which sparked an unsuccessful attempt to abolish the exclusion law. However, Abner and his family resided in Oregon for the next 10 years, amassing a fortune of $36,000 through his successful business ventures until bankruptcy finally encouraged the family to relocate. In 1865 they voluntary left Portland and begun residing in Victoria, Canada where he became the first black person elected to Victoria city council. However in 1865, the day after being sworn in, Francis resigned since he was not listed in the 1863 Assessment Role.

Death

Abner Hunt Francis's obituary was published in the March 28th edition of ''Daily British Colonialist'' in 1872. Francis was accredited as an influential member of the colored community. His death was quite sudden and attributed to inflammation of the bowels.

References

External links

Home of Abner Hunt Francis in Victoria

Obituary of Abner Hunt FrancisPetition to allow Francis to stay in Oregon.

Notable Women of Portland.

Sydna E. R. Francis.African Americans of Portland.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Francis, Abner Hunt 1813 births 1872 deaths African-American abolitionists People from Hunterdon County, New Jersey Businesspeople from Portland, Oregon Activists from Portland, Oregon Black Canadian businesspeople Black Canadian politicians Victoria, British Columbia city councillors American emigrants to pre-Confederation British Columbia Canadian people of African-American descent History of Black people in British Columbia African-American history in Portland, Oregon African-American history of Oregon 19th-century American businesspeople