Abolitionist Brooklyn (1828 – 1849)

…rors including sexual abuse and physical suffering. “Slave Market of America” emphasized American hypocrisy by showing slavery in the capital city of a nation founded on the premise of liberty. The visual language of anti-slavery prints was intended to persuade the most cynical of audiences. Consequently, it erased black agency, casting African Americans as victims. These images removed achievements of black people – free and enslaved – from the…

A Gradual Emancipation (1783 – 1827)

…that would abolish slavery completely in 1827. During this uncertain period, there were three options for pursuing freedom: running away, manumission or self-purchase. Read more… Close In 1809, 24-year-old Harry worked with the New-York Manumission Society (N-YMS) to advocate for his freedom. Harry had been promised money, manumission, and an apprenticeship at the age of 21 upon the death of his owner Maria Magdalene Ruble. However, he remaine…

Crisis Decade (1850 – 1860)

…on, Junius Morel, and T. Joiner White and others formed a group called the Committee of Thirteen. They offered financial assistance to freedom seekers, protection from slavecatchers and protested colonization. Information is scarce on the other organizations – a Committee of Nine in Brooklyn and Committee of Five in Williamsburg. In 1851, all three committees worked together on the high profile Christiana Patriots Case. When fugitives in Christia…

Timeline

…oolman Benevolent Society frequently worked with Manhattan’s New York African Society for Mutual Relief founded in 1808. Members of both organizations marched together in parades and celebratory processions in Manhattan and Brooklyn. These joint appearances represented a show of political solidarity, the creation of an anti-slavery network that crossed the East River, and the sharing of information and resources. 1815 [Advertisement for African S…

For Educators

…anti-slavery activism in Brooklyn. These documents are in PDF format and require Acrobat Reader. In Pursuit of Freedom outlines the development of the abolition movement in Brooklyn, a city on the rise, from the end of the American Revolution to the early days of Reconstruction. Three of Brooklyn’s leading cultural and educational institutions—Brooklyn Historical Society, Weeksville Heritage Center, and Irondale Ensemble Project—have come togeth…

Games

FOR STUDENTS Build map skills, develop a better understanding of how everyday people advanced anti-slavery ideals, and create your own anti-slavery propaganda. It Happened in Brooklyn IN PURSUIT OF FREEDOM WRITE A POEM *Best viewed in Google Chrome & Safari IT HAPPENED in BROOKLYN Click on the titles on the right for additional information. Drag the circles to their proper locations on the map. Havemeyer, Townsend & Co. Sugar Refine…

Walking Tours

WALKING TOURS In Pursuit of Freedom explores the everyday heroes of Brooklyn’s anti-slavery movement. The public history project is a partnership of Brooklyn Historical Society, Weeksville Heritage Center, and Irondale Ensemble Project. Download the Walking Tour Guide DUMBO DOWNTOWN BROOKLYN BROOKLYN HEIGHTS WEEKSVILLE WILLIAMSBURG DUMBO Brooklyn’s anti-slavery movement began in the neighborhoods we now call DUMBO and Vinegar Hill. At the end o…

Abolitionist Biographies

…ety, a mutual aid society and Brooklyn’s AME Church. They led Brooklyn’s first wave of anti-slavery activism during gradual emancipation. Benjamin Croger was also a temperance advocate and led the Brooklyn Temperance Association. Like many Brooklynites, the Crogers signed anti-slavery petitions to Congress. FREEMAN, Amos N Amos N(oe) Freeman 1809, Rahway, NJ – 1893, Brooklyn, NY Pastor, Underground Railroad Agent, and president of the Afric…

Civil War & Beyond (1861 – 1867)

…wn economic circumstances at home. On February 22, 1860, organizers held a four-day fair at Montague Hall, next to Brooklyn’s City Hall. The fundraiser “brought together all the elite and fashion of this portion of the Anglo-African world, and much of the Anglo-American in the bargain.” Read more… Close The organizing committees consisted of Elizabeth Gloucester, Mary J. Lyons, Christiana Freeman, Mary Wilson, Sarah Morel, and Sarah Tompkins, a…