The Colored National Convention of 1855 was a

colored convention The Colored Conventions Movement, or Black Conventions Movement, was a series of national, regional, and state conventions held irregularly during the decades preceding and following the American Civil War. The delegates who attended these convent ...

event held on October 16, 17, and 18 at Franklin Hall in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It consisted of delegates from Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Canada.

History

The Colored National Convention of 1855 delegates ranged from famous African Americans like

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 ...

, and

Mary Ann Shadd Mary Ann Camberton Shadd Cary (October 9, 1823 – June 5, 1893) was an American-Canadian anti-slavery activist, journalist, publisher, teacher, and lawyer. She was the first black woman publisher in North America and the first woman publisher i ...

, to unknowns like Rachel Cliff. Other notable delegates at this event included

Nathaniel W. Depee Nathaniel W. Depee (1812 – June 19, 1868) was an American activist, abolitionist, and merchant tailor. He was active in the Underground Railroad, and in Black politics in Philadelphia in the 1830s through 1860s. Biography Nathaniel W. Depee w ...

, Samuel Green, Catherine "Kitty" Green,

Robert Purvis Robert Purvis (August 4, 1810 – April 15, 1898) was an American abolitionist in the United States. He was born in Charleston, South Carolina, and was likely educated at Amherst Academy, a secondary school in Amherst, Massachusetts. He ...

, George T. Downing, Stephen Myers,

Charles Lenox Remond Charles Lenox Remond (February 1, 1810 – December 22, 1873) was an American orator, activist and abolitionist based in Massachusetts. He lectured against slavery across the Northeast, and in 1840 traveled to the British Isles on a tour with W ...

, and John S. Rock. It is thought that

Harriet Tubman Harriet Tubman (born Araminta Ross, March 10, 1913) was an American abolitionist and social activist. Born into slavery, Tubman escaped and subsequently made some 13 missions to rescue approximately 70 slaves, including family and friends, us ...

may have attended. There were a handful of female delegates in attendance, although their numbers were incomparable to the number of males. Nonetheless, their presence was striking in an age when women’s rights had barely begun to be realized. In addition, the female delegates’ husbands were not invited to the convention; such independence makes the women’s presence still more remarkable. The main theme of the convention was economic and social liberty for free

African Americans African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

. The delegates recognized that while the abolition of slavery was an important issue, it would be useless if the racial prejudice that had grown up in the North was allowed to persist. The convention strongly condemned the

Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 The Fugitive Slave Act or Fugitive Slave Law was passed by the United States Congress on September 18, 1850, as part of the Compromise of 1850 between Southern interests in slavery and Northern Free-Soilers. The Act was one of the most co ...

. Therefore, they discussed ways to help African Americans become economically independent, in order to gain the respect of whites. First, they brought up the creation of an industrial school for free blacks, but dismissed the idea as being inefficient and costly. Then, they continued to discuss the many merits of apprenticeships, and throughout the convention minutes, there is an emphasis on education, specifically in the area of mechanical trades. Overall, the convention provides a hopeful message that by increasing the availability of knowledge and opportunities for young, free African Americans, a better reward could await those still suffering under the yoke of slavery upon the advent of their freedom.Franklin Turner, ed. ''Proceedings of the Colored National Convention''. Salem: National Standard Office, 1856. Print.

History

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Further reading