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. #
