Part 8 (2/2)

[Footnote 2: _Ibid_, p 12, and Quaker Pas of the American Conv_, etc, 1801, p 12]

The effortsThe Abolition Society of Wilreatly promoted the special education of ”the Blacks and the people of color” In 1801, however, a school was kept the first day of the week by one of the , writing, and arithenerally attended and by their assiduity and progress showed the under sies”[1] In 1802 plans for the extension of this syste year[2] Seven years later, however, after personal and pecuniary aid had for some time been extended, the workers had still to laenerally experienced, and that there was little disposition to aid them in their friendly endeavors[3] In 1816 h a society formed a few years prior to this date for the express purpose of educating colored children, a school had been established under a Negro teacher He had a fair attendance of bright children, who ”by the facility hich they took in instruction were silently but certainly underainst their education A library of religious and moral publications had been secured for this institution In addition to the school in Wilratuitously taught by a society of young ladies The course of instruction covered reading, writing, and sewing The work in sewing proved to be a great advantage to the colored girls, h the instruood positions[5]

[Footnote 1: _Ibid_, p 20]

[Footnote 2: _Ibid_, 1802, p 17]

[Footnote 3: _Proceedings of the American Convention_, etc, 1809, p

20]

[Footnote 4: _Ibid_, 1816, p 20]

[Footnote 5: _Ibid_, 1821, p 18]

In Pennsylvania the interest of the large Quaker eleroes to be a matter of more concern to that colony than it was to the others Thanks to the arduous labors of the antislavery movement, emancipation was provided for in 1780

The Quakers were then especially anxious to seeslaves for the liberty intended By the favorable legislation of the State the poor were by 1780 allowed the chance to secure the rudiments of education[1]

Despite this favorable appearance of things, however, friends of the despised race had to keep up the agitation for such a construction of the laould secure to the Negroes of the State the educational benefits extended to the indigent The colored youth of Pennsylvania thereafter had the right to attend the schools provided for white children, and exercised it when persons interested in the blacks directed their attention to the importance of mental improvement[2]

But as neither they nor their defenders were numerous outside of Philadelphia and Columbia, not many pupils of color in other parts of the State attended school during this period Whatever special effort was made to arouse them to embrace their opportunities came chiefly from the Quakers

[Footnote 1: _AME Church Review_, vol xv, p 625]

[Footnote 2: Wickersham, _History of Education in Pa_, p 253]

Not content with the schools which were already opened to Negroes, the friends of the race continued to agitate and raise funds to extend their philanthropic operations With the donation of Anthony Benezet the Quakers were able to enlarge their building and increase the scope of the work They added a fe the girls spelling, reading, and sewing in 1784 The work done in Philadelphia was so successful that the place becahout the country,[2] and was of so much concern to certain members of this sect in London that in 1787 they contributed five hundred pounds toward the support of this school[3] In 1789 the Quakers organized ”The Society for the Free Instruction of the Orderly Blacks and People of Color” Taking into consideration the ”es which many well-disposed blacks and people of color labored under fro able to read, write, or cast accounts, which would qualify them to act for themselves or provide for their faanizations established evening schools for the education of adults of African blood[4] It is evident then that with the exception of the school of the Abolition Society organized in 1774, and the efforts of a few other persons generally cooperating like the anti-slavery leaders with the Quakers, practically all of the useful education of the colored people of this State was accomplished in their schools

Philadelphia had seven colored schools in 1797[5]

[Footnote 1: _Ibid_, p 251]

[Footnote 2: Quaker Pamphlet, p 42]

[Footnote 3: Wickersham, _History of Ed in Pa_, p 252]

[Footnote 4: _Ibid_, p 251]

[Footnote 5: Turner, _The Negro in Pa_, p 128]

The next decade was of larger undertakings[1] The report of the Pennsylvania Abolition Society of 1801 shows that there had been an increasing interest in Negro education For this purpose the society had raised funds to the amount of 53050 per annum for three years[2] In 1803 certain other friends of the cause left for this purpose two liberal benefactions, one a to one thousand dollars, and the other to one thousand pounds[3] With these contributions the Quakers and Abolitionists erected in 1809 a handso valued at four thousand dollars They naro race[4] In 1807 the Quakerspopulation of the city by founding an additional institution of learning known as the Adelphi School[5]

[Footnote 1: Parish, _Remarks on the Slavery_, etc, p 43]

[Footnote 2: _Proceedings of the American Conv_, 1802, p 18]

[Footnote 3: _Ibid_, 1803, p 13]