The Free African Society (FAS), founded in 1787, was a benevolent organization that held religious services and provided mutual aid for "free Africans and their descendants" in Philadelphia. The Society was founded by Richard Allen and Absalom Jones. It was the first Black religious institution in the city and led to the establishment of the first independent Black churches in the United States. Founding members, all free Black men, included Samuel Baston, Joseph Johnson, Cato Freedman, Caesar Cranchell, James Potter and William White. Notable members included African-American abolitionists such as Cyrus Bustill, James Forten, and William Gray.
Philadelphia's Free African Society forms
The Free African Society (FAS), founded in 1787, was a benevolent organization that held religious services and provided mutual aid for "free Africans and their descendants" in Philadelphia.
Historical Significance
The Free African Society (FAS), founded in 1787, was a benevolent organization that held religious services and provided mutual aid for "free Africans and their descendants" in Philadelphia.
Events Before
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's opera "The Marriage of Figaro" premieres in Vienna with Mozart himself conducting
The Marriage of Figaro, K. 492, is a commedia per musica (opera buffa) in four acts composed in 1786 by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, with an Italian libretto written by Lorenzo Da Ponte.
A landslide dam on the Dadu River, caused by an earthquake ten days earlier, collapses and kills 100,000 in Sichuan prov
A landslide dam on the Dadu River, caused by an earthquake ten days earlier, collapses and kills 100,000 in Sichuan province, China
US Congress unanimously chooses the dollar as the monetary unit for the United States of America
US Congress unanimously chooses the dollar as the monetary unit for the United States of America
The oldest performing musical organization in the United States is founded in Stoughton, Massachusetts, as the Stoughton
The oldest performing musical organization in the United States is founded in Stoughton, Massachusetts, as the Stoughton Musical Society
Grand Duke of Tuscany Leopold II promulgates a penal reform, making Tuscany the first state to abolish the death penalty
Grand Duke of Tuscany Leopold II promulgates a penal reform, making Tuscany the first state to abolish the death penalty; November 30 is now commemorated as Cities for Life Day
Events After
Emperor Joseph II's order for the Jews of Galicia, Austria, to adopt family names comes into effect
Emperor Joseph II's order for the Jews of Galicia, Austria, to adopt family names comes into effect
First elements of the First Fleet, carrying 736 convicts from England to Australia, arrive at Botany Bay to establish a
First elements of the First Fleet, carrying 736 convicts from England to Australia, arrive at Botany Bay to establish a penal colony
Captain Arthur Phillip and British colonists hoist the Union Flag at Sydney Cove, New South Wales, now celebrated as Aus
Captain Arthur Phillip and British colonists hoist the Union Flag at Sydney Cove, New South Wales, now celebrated as Australia Day; referred to as Invasion Day by First Nations people
US Constitution comes into effect when New Hampshire is the 9th state to ratify it
The United States Constitution has served as the supreme law of the United States since taking effect in 1789.
Prussia joins the Anglo-Dutch alliance to form the Triple Alliance to prevent the spread of the Russo-Swedish War of 178
Prussia joins the Anglo-Dutch alliance to form the Triple Alliance to prevent the spread of the Russo-Swedish War of 1788-90
More from the 1780s
John Walter publishes the first issue of his newspaper "The Daily Universal Register," which is renamed "The Times" of L
John Walter publishes the first issue of his newspaper "The Daily Universal Register," which is renamed "The Times" of London in 1788
Emperor Joseph II's order for the Jews of Galicia, Austria, to adopt family names comes into effect
Emperor Joseph II's order for the Jews of Galicia, Austria, to adopt family names comes into effect
Future US Chief Justice of the Supreme Court John Marshall (27) weds Mary Willis Ambler (16) at his cousin's home in Han
Future US Chief Justice of the Supreme Court John Marshall (27) weds Mary Willis Ambler (16) at his cousin's home in Hanover County, Virginia, until her death in 1831
British naval expedition led by Benedict Arnold burns Richmond, Virginia
The military career of Benedict Arnold in 1781 consisted of service in the British Army.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What happened on April 12, 1787?
- The Free African Society (FAS), founded in 1787, was a benevolent organization that held religious services and provided mutual aid for "free Africans and their descendants" in Philadelphia. The Society was founded by Richard Allen and Absalom Jones. It was the first Black religious institution in the city and led to the establishment of the first independent Black churches in the United States.
- Why is Philadelphia's Free African Society forms significant?
- The Free African Society (FAS), founded in 1787, was a benevolent organization that held religious services and provided mutual aid for "free Africans and their descendants" in Philadelphia.