%eadnotat; ]> 4009asfr An Inventory of the Association of Friends for the Free Instruction of Adult Colored Persons Records, 1789-1905 Finding Aid Prepared by FHL staffEncoding made possible by a grant from the Gladys Kriebel Delmas Foundation to the Philadelphia Consortium of Special Collections Libraries Friends Historical Library of Swarthmore College 1998 Text converted and initial EAD tagging provided by Apex Data Services, December 2000. ENG Association of Friends for the Fre Instruction of Adult Colored Persons Records, 1789-1905 FHL staff Friends Historical Library of Swarthmore College. 1998 Descriptive Summary Records, 1789-1905 RG 4/009 Association of Friends for the Free Instruction of Adult Colored Persons 3 boxes ; 1.5 linear feet) Friends Historical Library of Swarthmore College.
Swarthmore, Pennsylvania 19081-1399 U.S.A.
For current information on the location of materials, please consult the Library's online catalog. 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.

Repository:

Friends Historical Library of Swarthmore College

500 College Avenue, Swarthmore, PA 19081-1399

Phone: (610) 328-8496 FAX: (610) 690-5728

 BIOGRAPHICAL AND HISTORICAL NOTE

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.

 SCOPE AND CONTENT OF THE RECORDS

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.

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.

 ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION Accession information

Donor: Philadelphia Yearly Meeting

Date: 7/1975

 Provenance

Deposited by Philadelphia Yearly Meeting, 1975

 Access

Access to this collection is through microfilm, when available.

 Use Restrictions

All requests for permission to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted in to the Director.

 Preferred Citation

[Indicate the cited item or series here], Association of Friends for the Free Instruction of Adult Colored Persons, Records, RG 4/009, Friends Historical Library of Swarthmore College.

 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.

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

 Garfield, Eliza. "Thenthousand thinks: The 'Black Children's Letters, 1790-1802.'" (1997)SG 3: Association of Friends for the Free Instruction of Adult Colored Persons for annual reports of the Association, 1858-1890 (gaps). SELECTED SEARCH TERMS

This collection is indexed under the following headings in the catalog of the Friends Historical Library (TRIPOD). Researchers desiring materials about related topics, persons, or places should search the catalog using these headings:

 Afro-Americans--Services for--Pennsylvania Afro-Americans--Education--Pennsylvania Afro-Americans--Pennsylvania Charities--Pennsylvania Education--Pennsylvania Quakers--Charities--Records Quakers--Pennsylvania Schools--Pennsylvania Pennsylvania--Charitable and social work Philadelphia (Pa.)--Education--Schools Philadelphia (Pa.)--Education--Afro-Americans Philadelphia (Pa.)--Societies, etc.--Charities Society for the Free Instruction of African Females--Records--1795-1802 Association of Friends for the Free Instruction of Colored Women--Records--1831-1845 Society for the Free Instruction of the Black People--Records--1831-1845 DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE RECORDS

Note to Researchers: To request materials, please note both the location and box numbers shown below:

 Ser. 1 Constitution and Historical Background Constitution 1789 ms.1

Includes list of first members

 Constitution 1808 ms., printed 18131 Constitution9/24/1832 ms.1

Includes list of members with addresses.

 History “History of the Association of Friends for the Free Instruction of Adult Colored Persons in Philadelphia”1890 3 copies, printed 1 Letter from John C. Allen to Thomas Elkinton7/15/1867 ALS1 Ser. 2 Minutes Minutes1790-1798 1

At back: Appendix containing letters written.

 Minutes1798-1819 1 Minutes1819-1822 1 Minutes1822-1831 1 Minutes1831-1905 4 vols. 1 Ser. 3 Executive Committee Executive Committee Reports1831-1836 2 Executive Committee Minutes1838-1840 2 vols. 2 Board of Managers Minutes1840-1891 3 vols. 2 Ser. 4 Women's Association Records1795-18453 Ser. 5 Committees Committee charged with care of First-Day schools1809 3 Visiting Managers Committee minutes 1852-1890 (gaps) 4 vols.3

Men's school

 Visiting managers committee minutes 1852-1890 (gaps) 5 vols.3

Women's school

 Ser. 6 Financial Records Receipt book1848-1860 3

Contains names and addresses of women entered

 List of securities for support of Raspberry St. School1873-1898 3 Treasurer's book 1831-1846 3

Includes Roll book, 1830-1831 of Evening and first-day class for Colored Men

 Treasurer's book 1846-1904 3 Collection books (Middle District)1846-1858 3 Collection books (Northern District) 1850-1858, 1877-1890 3 Collection books (Western District)1862-1890 3 Ser. 7 Correspondence Letters from techers, pupils1867 3 Writing assignments1790-1802 3

Originally catalogued as SC/011