James Forten (September 2, 1766 – March 4, 1842) was an American abolitionist and businessman in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. A free-born African American, he became a sailmaker after the American Revolutionary War .

2007年1月17日 · Over time, James Forten became interested in politics and avidly campaigned for and supported temperance, women’s suffrage, and equal rights for African Americans. In 1800, he was the leader in organizing a petition that called for Congress to emancipate all slaves.

2023年2月17日 · James Forten would use his wealth, notoriety, and social standing to work for civil rights for African Americans in both Philadelphia and nationwide. Starting in 1817, he opposed the colonization movements, particularly that of the American Colonization Society , established to address the prevailing view that free ‘people of color’ could ...

James Forten (1766-1842), one of America's most prominent black abolitionists, was also an inventor and entrepreneur and one of the wealthiest Americans of his day. James Forten was born free in Philadelphia on Sept. 2, 1766.

James Forten was born in 1766 as a free Black man in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Over the course of his lifetime, he would make an impact upon the fortunes of industries and the lives of his fellow man. Forten was the son of Thomas and Sarah Forten and the grandson of slaves.

James Forten Businessman (September 2, 1766 – March 4, 1842) A sailmaker with a bustling business that employed both black and white workers, Forten was one of the wealthiest Philadelphians of his time—of any race.

2018年10月19日 · James Forten. A Black sailmaker was helping to lead the anti-slavery movement long before it was popular in America. By Sean Braswell, OZY — In the spring of 1842, several thousand Philadelphians poured into the streets …

2023年11月26日 · The Museum of the American Revolution's 2023 special exhibition introduced visitors to story and legacy of free Black Philadelphian James Forten and his descendants from the Revolultionary era through the Civil War.

2023年12月16日 · Forten spent most of his adult life as the master of a shop that made sails for ships -- exactly, precise, skilled work. He employed a substantial work force, including men classified as "white" and "colored." To put such a life together is no easy task. Most relevant records have disappeared.

James Forten wrote letters to The Liberator, worked in his sail loft, met with his abolitionist friends, and stayed active in the abolitionist movement until very late in his life. He lived in Philadelphia with his wife and eight children until March 4, 1842, when he died at the age of 75.