Some items in the TriCollege Libraries Digital Collections may be under copyright. Copyright information may be available in the Rights Status field listed in this item record (below). Ultimate responsibility for assessing copyright status and for securing any necessary permission rests exclusively with the user. Please see the Reproductions and Access page for more information.
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.
14
i
“ At the lower camp we found that our teacher had been equally faith-
ful in the performance of her duties, but we were much disappointed to
see that the superintendent had built her a very small cabin, which, judg-
ing from its loose construction, will barely protect her from the winter
weather. We called at his house in orden to direct his attention to this;
he was not at home. We had, however, an irterview with his wife, and
from our conversation with her we were led to the conclusion, that if we
wish to do our work well, we must use our influence to induce conscien-
tious farmers and their wives to seek such situations as this man holds,
for unless those who have the care of these Government farms go hand
in hand with us, and with our teachers, we shall be able to do our duty
but partially, and throw discouragements in the path of those who look
to us as their true friends,
“The greater part of the Freed- people, i in these two camps, are earn-
ing money by cultivating the farms. They are inclined to spend it judi-
ciously. We, therefore, suggest, that our teachers here be furnished with
a stock of trimmings and a few other articles in order to form a nucleus
for a small store in case it should prove desirable to establish one here.
Now, they are obliged to send nine miles to Georgetown for needles,
tapes, and similar articles. We should not consider our report com-
plete without adverting to the obligations which we feel we are under to
our noble-hearted teachers, who are doing by far the heaviest part of the
work for us, considering our interests and the interests of the Freedman
“a8 paramount, and neglecting their own so far as to be sufferers cchoue
sickness and discomforts of many kinds.
‘“‘In our comfortable homes, let us remember them, and seriously ask
‘of ourselves whether we are doing all thai we might do to evince our
sympathy for them.
“In conclusion we would add that we thitik it advisable for our com-
_mittees, when they visit the camps under our especial care, to visit
also the camps in Washington, and acquaint themselves with the condi-
tion of the freed-people in that city, who are endeavoring to support
themselves without the aid of the Government. We regretted that the
inclemency of the weather prevented our doing this.
“It is well we believe for our Association to labor in the Government
camps at this time. We must not, howéver, forget that it is equally
our duty to obtain all the information we can, upon the various modes for
elevating the Freedman, in order that we may be prepared to work in
other directions, so soon as it is thought best for us to do so.”
A letter from one of our teachers at Mason’s Island gives
the following interesting information.
Eleventh month 23d, 1864.
‘Our day and night schools are progressing nicely and to our satisfac-
tion, having over- sixty children in attendance. Several women come
Page 14
Friends Freedmen's Association Records --http://archives.tricolib.brynmawr.edu/resources/4024frfr