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Association of Friends for the Free Instruction of Adult Colored Persons Records

 Collection
Identifier: SFHL-RG4-009

Scope and Contents

Contains minutes, financial records, and some correspondence of the Association of Friends for the Free Instruction of Adult Colored Persons and its predecessors, the Society of the Free Instruction of the Black People, the Society for the Free Instruction of African Females, and the Association of Friends for the Free Instruction of Colored Women.

Dates

  • Creation: 1789-1905

Creator

Conditions Governing Access

Access to this collection is through microfilm, when available.

Conditions Governing Use

Some of the items in this collection may be protected by copyright. The user is solely responsible for making a final determination of copyright status. If copyright protection applies, permission must be obtained from the copyright holder or their heirs/assigns to reuse, publish, or reproduce relevant items beyond the bounds of Fair Use or other exemptions to the law. See http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/UND/1.0/.

Biographical / Historical

The Association of Friends for the Free Instruction of Adult Colored Persons was a Quaker organization organized in 1789 in Philadelphia to operate a charity school for black adults. The Association provided free adult education to blacks until 1904 when it was dissolved and its assets were transferred to the Institute for Colored Youth.

Organized in Philadelphia in 1789 as a “Society for the free instruction of orderly Blacks and People of Colour,” the Association provided free adult education to African Americans until 1904 when it was dissolved and its assets were transferred to the Institute for Colored Youth.

The Association was briefly suspended from 1822-1831, but was reorganized by 1832 under the name “Association for the Free Instruction of Adult Colored Persons. The Association ran both evening schools and, during some periods, First-Day afternoon schools, at several locations in Philadelphia, including Miller's Alley, Willings' Alley, Green's Court and Raspberry and Shields Courts.

A Women's Association began in 1795 as the Society for the Improvement of African Women. By 1797 the name had been changed to “Society for the Free Instruction of African Females;” this group was suspended and reorganized several times, but in 1845, the men's association took charge of running the women's school.

Extent

1.5 linear ft. (3 boxes)

Language of Materials

English

Abstract

The Association of Friends for the Free Instruction of Adult Colored Persons was a Quaker organization organized in 1789 in Philadelphia to operate a charity school for black adults. The Association provided free adult education to African-Americans until 1904 when it was dissolved and its assets were transferred to the Institute for Colored Youth. This collection contains minutes, financial records, and some correspondence of the Association of Friends for the Free Instruction of Adult Colored Persons and its predecessors, the Society of the Free Instruction of the Black People, the Society for the Free Instruction of African Females, and the Association of Friends for the Free Instruction of Colored Women.

Arrangement

The collection is organized into 7 series. The series are:

  1. Constitution and History
  2. Minutes
  3. Executive Committee
  4. Women's Association
  5. Committees
  6. Financial records
  7. Correspondence

For current information on the location of materials, please consult the Library's online catalog.

Physical Location

For current information on the location of materials, please consult the Library's online catalog.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Donor: Philadelphia Yearly Meeting

Date: 7/1975

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Deposited by Philadelphia Yearly Meeting, 1975

Existence and Location of Copies

Microfilm available: Association of Friends for the Free Instruction of Adult Colored Person: Film Org.-A

Processing Information

The collection was first processed in the Spring 1982 and stored in Record Group 4. In 1998, the 1819-22 minute book, received in 1975 and originally catalogued as the Society for the Free Instruction of the Black People (RG4/061) was reunited with this collection. At the same time, SC/011 (Black Children Mss./Writing Assignments, 1790-1802) was also reunited. Parts of this collection (minutes) have been microfilmed; access is through microfilm when available.

Title
An Inventory of the Association of Friends for the Free Instruction of Adult Colored Persons Records, 1789-1905
Author
FHL staff
Date
1998
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin
Sponsor
Encoding made possible by a grant from the Gladys Kriebel Delmas Foundation to the Philadelphia Consortium of Special Collections Libraries

Find It at the Library

Most of the materials in this catalog are not digitized and can only be accessed in person. Please see our website for more information about visiting or requesting repoductions from Friends Historical Library of Swarthmore College Library

Contact:
500 College Avenue
Swarthmore Pennsylvania 19081 USA