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FEBRUARY 2005

New York’s Manumission (Free the Slaves!)
Society & Its African Free School 1785-1849

By Dorothy Davis

People who say that the Declaration of Independence’s “all men are created equal” should have applied to more than property-owning white men might be surprised to know that at the time Alexander Hamilton and many other New York leaders felt that slaves should be given their freedom and the right to vote. Unfortunately Thomas Jefferson and Southern leaders disagreed. In 1785 Hamilton, John Jay and 28 others created New York’s Manumission Society, which established the African Free School in 1794.  Manumission (from the Latin for “hand” and “let go”) means to free a slave. The society worked for the abolition of slavery and the freeing of slaves, and through its school educated young African-Americans.

The New-York Historical Society has the Manumission Society’s Records (1785-1849) and the School’s (1817-1832). These can be viewed on microfilm at their library. Some of the originals can be seen in the Alexander Hamilton exhibit through February 28. For address and hours go to www.nyhistory.org.

The Museum of the City of New York has Manumission Documents from the early 19th Century between slave owners and slaves as well as slave purchase documents.

The Schomburg Library’s new website “IN MOTION” www.schomburgcenter.org contains a photo of the second African Free School, and information about two graduates: the artist Patrick Ryan and the prominent abolitionist Henry Highland Garnett. #

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