Letter from Benjamin Franklin to Vice President John Adams with Petition from the Pennsylvania Society for Promoting the Abolition of Slavery
2/1790
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Benjamin Franklin sent this letter to Vice President John Adams, transmitting a letter from James Pemberton and a petition from the Pennsylvania Society for Promoting the Abolition of Slavery.
Franklin had signed the petition as member and president of the Pennsylvania Society, which was one of three organizations who sent anti-slavery petitions to the First U.S. Congress as part of the first unified campaign to abolish enslaving people. The three organizations were the Philadelphia and New York Yearly Meetings of the Society of Friends (Quakers) and the Pennsylvania Society for Promoting the Abolition of Slavery. The Pennsylvania Society was believed to be the most influential of the three organizations.
On February 3, 1790, Franklin signed this petition, which he sent to Congress on February 9, 1790. It called on Congress to "devise means for removing the Inconsistency from the Character of the American People" and to "promote mercy and justice toward this distressed Race." While Franklin's petition was considered the most radical, all three petitions sparked intense debate in the House and the Senate.
After a day of debate, the Senate decided to take no action on the petitions. The House referred them to a select committee for further consideration. The committee reported on March 5, 1790, stating that the Constitution restrained Congress from prohibiting the importation of enslaved people until 1808 and interfering with the emancipation of the enslaved. The House then tabled the petitions, effectively ending the debate on the issue of slavery in the First Congress.
Franklin had signed the petition as member and president of the Pennsylvania Society, which was one of three organizations who sent anti-slavery petitions to the First U.S. Congress as part of the first unified campaign to abolish enslaving people. The three organizations were the Philadelphia and New York Yearly Meetings of the Society of Friends (Quakers) and the Pennsylvania Society for Promoting the Abolition of Slavery. The Pennsylvania Society was believed to be the most influential of the three organizations.
On February 3, 1790, Franklin signed this petition, which he sent to Congress on February 9, 1790. It called on Congress to "devise means for removing the Inconsistency from the Character of the American People" and to "promote mercy and justice toward this distressed Race." While Franklin's petition was considered the most radical, all three petitions sparked intense debate in the House and the Senate.
After a day of debate, the Senate decided to take no action on the petitions. The House referred them to a select committee for further consideration. The committee reported on March 5, 1790, stating that the Constitution restrained Congress from prohibiting the importation of enslaved people until 1808 and interfering with the emancipation of the enslaved. The House then tabled the petitions, effectively ending the debate on the issue of slavery in the First Congress.
Transcript
Philadelphia, Feby 9th 1790Sir,
At the Request of the Pennsylvania Society for the Abolition of Slavery, I have Honour of presenting to your Excellency the enclosed Petition, which I beg leave to recommend to your favourable Notice. Some further Particulars respecting it, request by the Society, will appear in their Letter to me, of which I enclose a Copy, and have the Honour to be, Sir,
Your Excellency’s most obedient & most humble Servant B Franklin Presidt of the Society
His Excellency John Adams Esq Vice President of the United States
Copy [encircled]
Esteemed Friend,
Herewith are two Copies of a Memorial unanimously agreed to by the Pennsylvania Society for promoting the Abolition of Slavery &c. at a special Meeting held the 3rd Inst. and I have it in charge to request the President to sign and forward them by the first Post und Cover, one of them to the President of the Senate, & the other to the Speaker of the House of Representatives of the United States, with a few Lines desiring the Favor of each to embrace the earliest and most suitable Opportunity to present the Memorial to the House in which he presides, and if Directions can be given to have it published at large on their Minutes, it will be most agreeable to the Memorialists.
Thy respectful Friend
Benj Franklin Esq Jams Pemberton
President of the Pennsyla
Society for promoting The Abolition of Slavery &c. 2 mo. 5. 1790
To the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America
The memorial of the Pennsylvania Society for promoting the Abolition of Slavery, the relief of free Negroes unlawfully held in bondage, and the Improvement of the Condition of the African Race -
Respectfully Sheweth,
That from a regard for the happiness of Mankind an Association was formed several years since in this State by a number of her Citizens of various religious denominations for promoting the Abolition of Slavery and for the relief of those unlawfully held in bondage. A just and accurate Conception of the true Principles of liberty, as it spread through the land, produced accessions to their numbers, many friends to their Cause, and a legislative Co-operation with their views, which, by the blessing of Divine Providence, have been successfully directed to the relieving from bondage a large number of their fellow Creatures of the African Race - They have also the Satisfaction to observe, that in consequence of that Spirit of Philanthropy and genuine liberty which is generally diffusing its beneficial Influence, similar Institutions are gradually forming at home and abroad.
That mankind are all formed by the same Almighty being, alike objects of his Care and equally designed for the Enjoyment of Happiness the Christian Religion teaches us to believe, and the Political Creed of America fully coincides with the Position. Your Memorialists, particularly engaged in attending to the Distresses arising from Slavery, believe it their indispensable Duty to present this Subject to your notice - They have observed with great Satisfaction that many important and salutary Powers are vested in you for "promoting the Welfare and securing the blessing of liberty to the People of the United States". And as they conceive; that these blessing ought rightfully to be administered, without distinction of Colour, to all descriptions of People, so they indulge themselves in the pleasing expectation, that nothing which can be done for the relief of the unhappy objects of their care, will be either omitted or delayed.
From a persuasion that equal liberty was originally the Portion, and is still the Birthright of all Men, and influenced by the strong ties of Humanity and the Principles of their Institution, your Memorialists conceive themselves bound
[start underline in pencil] bound to use all justifiable endeavours to loosen the bands of Slavery [end underline] and promote a general Enjoyment of the blessings of Freedom. Under these Impressions they earnestly entreat your serious attention to the Subject of Slavery, that you will be pleased to countenance the [start underline in pencil] Restoration of Liberty [end underline] to those unhappy Men, who alone, in this land of Freedom, are degraded into perpetual Bondage, and who, amidst the general Joy of surrounding Freemen, are groaning in Servile Subjection, that you will devise means for removing this [start underline in pencil] Inconsistency from the Character of the American People [end underline] - that you will promote Mercy and Justice towards this distressed Race, and that you will Step to the very verge of the Powers vested in you for discouraging every Species of Traffick in the Persons of our fellow Men.
Philadelphia Febry 3: 1790
[signature]
B. Franklin
Presid[ent] of the Society
This primary source comes from the Records of the U.S. Senate.
National Archives Identifier: 306388
Full Citation: Letter from Benjamin Franklin Transmitting a Letter from James Pemberton and a Petition from the Pennsylvania Society for Promoting the Abolition of Slavery to Vice President John Adams; 2/1790; Petitions and Memorials and Resolutions of State Legislatures Submitted to the 1st Congress; Petitions and Related Documents That Were Presented, Read, or Tabled, 1789 - 1966; Records of the U.S. Senate, Record Group 46; National Archives Building, Washington, DC. [Online Version, https://www.docsteach.org/documents/document/franklin-adams-slavery-petition, March 21, 2025]Activities that use this document
- Benjamin Franklin: Politician and Diplomat
Created by the National Archives Education Team - From Slavery to Juneteenth: Emancipation and Ending Enslavement
Created by the National Archives Education Team
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