Association of Friends for the Free Instruction of Adult Colored Persons Records
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
Limitations on Accessing the Collection
Access to this collection is through microfilm, when available.
Copyright and Rights Information
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 Feet (3 boxes)
Language
English
Overview
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:
- Constitution and History
- Minutes
- Executive Committee
- Women's Association
- Committees
- Financial records
- 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.
Subject
- Society for the Free Instruction of African Females (Organization)
- Association of Friends for the Free Instruction of Colored Women (Organization)
- Society for the Free Instruction of the Black People (Philadelphia, Pa.) (Organization)
Topical
- African Americans -- Education -- Pennsylvania
- African Americans -- Education -- Pennsylvania -- Philadelphia
- African Americans -- Pennsylvania
- African Americans -- Services for -- Pennsylvania
- Charities -- Pennsylvania
- Charities -- Pennsylvania -- Philadelphia
- Education -- Pennsylvania
- Quakers -- Pennsylvania
- Schools -- Pennsylvania
- Schools -- Pennsylvania -- Philadelphia
- Social service -- Pennsylvania
- Society of Friends -- Charities -- Records and correspondence
- 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 reproductions from Friends Historical Library of Swarthmore College Library
