The Vigilant Association of Philadelphia was an abolitionist organization founded in August 1837 in Philadelphia to "create a fund to aid colored persons in distress". The initial impetus came from Robert Purvis, who had served on a previous Committee of Twelve in 1834, and his father-in-law, businessman James Forten.
Up and running by 1838, the committee had begun to break down in 1852. William Still was an important conductor along the railroad and a founder of the vigilance committee in Philadelphia.
History
Its executive was the Vigilant Committee of Philadelphia and its first president was a black dentist, James McCrummell. Other abolitionists who helped included John Greenleaf Whittier, who helped form the committee and promoted the association in his newspaper Pennsylvania Freeman.
There were five members of the acting committee for the Vigilant Association of Philadelphia, which included Nathaniel W. Depee, William Still, Jacob C. White, Passmore Williamson, and Charles Wise.
In June 1842, future writer Harriet Jacobs was among the fugitive slaves who were aided by the Association.
See also
References
Citations
- Foner, Eric (2 February 2016). Gateway to freedom : the hidden history of the underground railroad. National Geographic Books. ISBN 978-0-393-35219-1. OCLC 1086231994.
- Boromé, Joseph A.; White, Jacob C.; Ayres, Robert B.; McKim, J. M. (1968). "The Vigilant Committee of Philadelphia". The Pennsylvania Magazine of History and Biography. 92 (3): 320–351. ISSN 0031-4587. JSTOR 20090197.
- ^ Boromé 1968.
- ^ Tomek 2015.
- Gara, Larry (1961). "William Still and the Underground Railroad". Pennsylvania History: A Journal of Mid-Atlantic Studies. 28 (1): 33–44. ISSN 0031-4528. JSTOR 27770004.
- Sanders, Nancy I. (2012-06-01). Frederick Douglass for Kids: His Life and Times, with 21 Activities. Chicago Review Press. p. 54. ISBN 978-1-61374-357-7.
- Switala, William J. (2008-08-21). Underground Railroad in Pennsylvania. Stackpole Books. ISBN 978-0-8117-4912-1.
- Still, William (2022-02-15). "Organization of the Vigilance Committee". Toronto Metropolitan University Pressbooks.
- Jean Fagan Yellin: Harriet Jacobs. A Life. New York 2004, p. 66.
Sources
- Boromé, Joseph (1968), "The Vigilant Committee of Philadelphia", Pennsylvania Magazine of History and Biography, 92 (3), Historical Society of Pennsylvania: 320–351, JSTOR 20090197
- Tomek, Beverly C. (2015), "Vigilance Committees", The Encyclopedia of Greater Philadelphia, Rutgers University
External links
- Historical records of Philadelphia Vigilant Association Archived 2016-08-31 at the Wayback Machine held at the Historical Society of Pennsylvania
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