In colonial America, Pennsylvania was the home of abolitionist sentiment as early as the 1680s, when Mennonites outside of Philadelphia first published a manifesto regarding the problems of slavery. Over the years, the ideas of the Mennonites were scorned, but throughout the eighteenth century with the emigration of free blacks into the state, abolitionist groups became more popular, especially among the Quakers. In 1775 Anthony Benezet established the "Society for the Relief of Free Negroes Unlawfully held in Bondage," a predominantly Quaker organization dedicated to the cause of abolition. Nine years later, after Benezet's death, the society was renamed "The Pennsylvania Society for Promoting the Abolition of Slavery and for the Relief of Free Negroes Unlawfully Held in Bondage." In 1787 the society published the document shown here, and also petitioned the Constitutional Convention to ban the international slave trade. By 1780, Pennsylvania had passed the gradual abolition act, which prohibited the transportation of children and pregnant women out of the state, the building of ships for the purpose of slaving, and made it illegal to separate families of slaves. While reading this document, consider the terms it sets forth. What provisions does it make for free slaves? What is the main purpose of this document?

Investigate the source using the zoom and navigational tools in the Flash player and then answer the questions below.

1			What does this document say? What provisions does it set forth to help improve the conditions of free African Americans?
2			How would the improvements discussed in this document help the situation of African Americans?
3			Compare this document to others written by abolitionists. How is it similar? Different?