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Friends' Association of Philadelphia for the Aid and Elevation of the Freedmen, Annual Reports
Report of the Executive Board of Friends' Association for the Aid and Elevation of the Freedmen, Read at the Meeting of the Association
Yearly reports printed for annual meeting of the association. Largely consist of narrative accounts of the freedmen's progress, drawn from letters sent by teachers who operated colored schools under the care of the association. Most years, a list of the society's officers, the treasurer's report, accounts of donations received in cash and goods, and an overview of distributions made were also included.
1864 - 1871
192 p. ; 22 cm.
reformatted digital
SG 3
Friends Freedmen's Association Records--http://archives.tricolib.brynmawr.edu/resources/4024frfr
The Women's Association of Philadelphia for the Relief of the Freedmen was founded in 1862 to provide charitable assistance to recently freed slaves. Many Quakers were involved in this organization, but it was not until the following year that a similar group that was officially affiliated with the Society of Friends emerged. The Friends Association of Philadelphia and its Vicinity for the Relief of Colored Freedmen, was founded by Orthodox Quaker men in 1863. Soon after, in 1864, an equivalent group was established by Hicksite Quakers of both sexes: the Friends' Association for the Aid and Elevation of the Freedmen (amended to the more precise "Friends' Association of Philadelphia for the Aid and Elevation of the Freedmen"), which incorporated the Women's Association in 1865. It is unclear when this association closed, but it was in existence at least as late as 1872. Its Orthodox counterpart, renamed Friends' Freedmen's Association circa 1873, continued to operate in various capacities--most recently as a scholarship fund--until it was dissolved in 1982.
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York as a field of labor, and we having no organization else-
where requiring the services of a nurse, it was concluded to
leave her at liberty to make any other engagement. This faith-
ful laborer among the Freedmen has since been removed by
death. |
An Industrial School, which had been established at Mason’s
Island, was in successful operation, and, notwithstanding the
prevalence of sickness, which interfered with the regular attend-
ance of the pupils, a large number of garments, also bed-ticks
for the Hospital, were made by the women and children. The
services of two competent workmen were secured to give instruc-
tion to the men and boys in mat-making and cobbling, and fifty-
two pairs of shoes were repaired by them, during the continu-
ance of these schools.
On account of the continued unhealthiness of this Camp, two
of our members were appointed, in Third month of last year, to
represent to the proper authorities the condition of affairs there,
with a view to obtain a more suitable situation to which the
people might be remeved. On this mission they proceeded to
Washington, and, on their return, reported that they had suc-
ceeded in obtaining interviews with the Officers of the Freed-
men’s Bureau; and, though the sickness on the Island had
materially abated, there was a strong probability of an early
removal of the Camp. They also reported that they visited the
schools under our care, and found them in a flourishing con-
dition; that the teachers were diligently employed in the per-
formance of their several duties, and manifested untiring zeal
and devotion to the work in which they were engaged. While
in Washington, our Committee had been deeply impressed with
the destitution and suffering of many of the freed-people in that
city ; and, in consequence of their representation, an appropria-
tion of sanitary stores and clothing was sent to Eliza Heacock
for distribution amgng them.
_ Communications received from Wm. F. Mitchell depicted
great suffering at Nashville, Tenn., from insufficient food and
clothing, which induced the forwarding of money and supplies to
that locality. In acknowledging ‘their timely reception,’ he
writes that the appropriations for the Orphan Asylum established
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Friends Freedmen's Association Records --http://archives.tricolib.brynmawr.edu/resources/4024frfr