Early Movement to End Slavery 

On February 11, 1790, the Society for the Relief of Free Negroes Unlawfully Held in Bondage (also known as the Pennsylvania Abolition Society) petitioned the U.S, Congress to abolish slavery. The group had organized in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in 1775, and seventeen of the twenty-four founding members belonged to the Society of Friends, often known as Quakers. 

The Revolutionary War took some of the focus from their efforts. However, the society regrouped in 1784 with renewed determination, and they incorporated in 1789. Sometime in the postwar years, Benjamin Franklin became their president, and he presented the petition to Congress asking them to do away with slavery. Although the push for a national law failed at this time, Pennsylvania had abolished slavery within its borders in 1780, becoming the first state to do so.

The Pennsylvania Abolition Society still meets today, and works to combat racism, encourage equality, and improve living conditions. It is the oldest abolition society in the United States and an appropriate topic for this, black history month.

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