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Officers, Members and Supporters:
Jay, John, 1745-1829, New York, lawyer, statesman, founding father, diplomat, anti-slavery leader. President of the Continental Congress. First Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. Governor of the State of New York, 1795-1801. New York State’s leading opponent of slavery. Founder and president of the New York Society for Promoting the Manumission of Slaves and Protecting such of them as Have Been Liberated, founded 1785. Attempted to end slavery in 1777 and 1785. In 1799, he signed into law the Act for the Gradual Abolition of Slavery, which eventually freed all the slaves in New York. This act was arguably the most comprehensive and largest emancipation in North America before the Civil War.
(Basker, 2005, pp. 64-66, 73-74, 75, 77, 239, 319, 321, 322, 347-348, 350-351; Dumond, 1961, pp. 28, 47, 87; Appletons’ Cyclopaedia of American Biography, 1888, Vol. III, pp. 408-411; Dictionary of American Biography, Charles Scribner’s Sons, New York, 1936; Dictionary of American Biography, Charles Scribner’s Sons, New York, 1936, Vol. 5, Pt. 2, p. 5; American National Biography, Oxford University Press, New York, 2002, Vol. 11, p. 891; Encylopaedia Americana, 1831, Vol. VII, pp. 180-181)
Smith, E. H., Dr., Secretary
Allen, Nehemiah
Benson, Egbert
Brackett, Joseph Warren, Counsellor, New York Society for Promoting the Manumission of Slaves, 1812. (Proceedings of the American Convention for Promoting the Abolition of Slavery and Improving the Condition of the African Race, Philadelphia, 1812)
Brown, Samuel
Burling, Thomas
Burr, Aaron, 1756-1836, Newark, New Jersey, soldier, statesman, antislavery activist. Vice President of the United States under Thomas Jefferson. (Appletons’ Cyclopaedia of American Biography, 1888, Vol. I, pp. 465-467; Dictionary of American Biography, Charles Scribner’s Sons, New York, 1936, Vol. 2, Pt. 1, p. 313)
Colden, Cadwallader D., Counsellor, New York Society for Promoting the Manumission of Slaves, 1812. (Proceedings of the American Convention for Promoting the Abolition of Slavery and Improving the Condition of the African Race, Philadelphia, 1812)
Collins, Benjamin S., Register, New York Society for Promoting the Manumission of Slaves, 1812. (Proceedings of the American Convention for Promoting the Abolition of Slavery and Improving the Condition of the African Race, Philadelphia, 1812)
Collins, Thomas, Secretary of the Board of Trustees of the School, delegate to the convention, New York Society for Promoting the Manumission of Slaves, 1812. (Proceedings of the American Convention for Promoting the Abolition of Slavery and Improving the Condition of the African Race, Philadelphia, 1812)
Cornell, Robert C.
Cromwell, John J., Secretary of the Standing Committee, New York Society for Promoting the Manumission of Slaves, 1812. (Proceedings of the American Convention for Promoting the Abolition of Slavery and Improving the Condition of the African Race, Philadelphia, 1812)
Duane, James
Dunlap, William, New York, abolitionist, member of the New York Society for Promoting the Manumission of Slaves, New York, founded 1785 (Basker, 2005, pp. 223, 224, 225, 227, 238, 239n4).
Dwight, Theodore, 1764-1846, lawyer, author, editor, Massachusetts. Opposed slavery. Gave noteworthy anti-slavery speech at Connecticut Society for the Promotion of Freedom, May 8, 1794. (American National Biography, 2002, Vol. 7, p. 189; Dictionary of American Biography, 1936, Vo. 3, Pt. 1, p. 569; Appletons’ Cyclopaedia of American Biography, 1888, Vol. V)
Emmett, Thomas Addis, Counsellor, New York Society for Promoting the Manumission of Slaves, 1812. (Proceedings of the American Convention for Promoting the Abolition of Slavery and Improving the Condition of the African Race, Philadelphia, 1812)
Franklin, Thomas, Jr., New York, abolitionist, member of the New York Society for Promoting the Manumission of Slaves, founded New York 1785 (Basker, 2005, pp. 223-224).
Hamilton, Alexander, 1757-1804, founding father, statesman, first Secretary of the Treasury, anti-slavery activist, second President of the New York Society for Promoting the Manumission of Slaves, founded in 1785. (Zilversmit, 1967, p. 166; Appletons’ Cyclopaedia of American Biography, 1888, Vol. III, pp. 56-60; Dictionary of American Biography, Charles Scribner’s Sons, New York, 1936, Vol. 4, Pt. 2, p. 171; American National Biography, Oxford University Press, New York, 2002, Vol. 9, p. 905; Encylopaedia Americana, 1830, Vol. VI, pp. 152-153)
Hamilton, William (Sinha, 2016, p. 82)
Hegeman, Adrian
Hicks, Samuel, delegate to the convention, New York Society for Promoting the Manumission of Slaves, 1812. (Proceedings of the American Convention for Promoting the Abolition of Slavery and Improving the Condition of the African Race, Philadelphia, 1812)
Hook, Isaac A., Treasurer, New York Society for Promoting the Manumission of Slaves, 1812. (Proceedings of the American Convention for Promoting the Abolition of Slavery and Improving the Condition of the African Race, Philadelphia, 1812)
Jay, Peter Augustus, 1776-1843, anti-slavery activist. Son of first Chief Justice of the United States and diplomat John Jay. President of the New York Manumission Society in 1816, and President of the Anti-Slavery New York Public School Society. Advocated for suffrage for free African Americans. (Dumond, 1961, p. 103; Sorin, 1971, p. 77; Appletons’ Cyclopaedia of American Biography, 1888, Vol. III; Dictionary of American Biography, Charles Scribner’s Sons, New York, 1936, Vol. 5, Pt. 2, p. 11; Proceedings of the American Convention for Promoting the Abolition of Slavery and Improving the Condition of the African Race, Philadelphia, 1812)
Jenkins, Sylvanus F., Secretary of the Committee of Ways and Means, delegate to the convention, New York Society for Promoting the Manumission of Slaves, 1812. (Proceedings of the American Convention for Promoting the Abolition of Slavery and Improving the Condition of the African Race, Philadelphia, 1812)
Johnson, William, Counsellor, New York Society for Promoting the Manumission of Slaves, 1812. (Proceedings of the American Convention for Promoting the Abolition of Slavery and Improving the Condition of the African Race, Philadelphia, 1812)
Lewis, Mordechai, delegate to the convention, New York Society for Promoting the Manumission of Slaves, 1812. (Proceedings of the American Convention for Promoting the Abolition of Slavery and Improving the Condition of the African Race, Philadelphia, 1812)
McDougall, Alexander
Miller, Samuel (Sinha, 2016, p. 82)
Munro, Peter Jay, 1767-1833, jurist, abolitionist, President of the New York Society for Promoting the Manumission of Slaves, 1812. (Appletons’, 1888, Vol. IV, p. 461; Basker, 2005, pp. 223, 239 n4, 5; Proceedings of the American Convention for Promoting the Abolition of Slavery and Improving the Condition of the African Race, Philadelphia, 1812)
Murray, John, Jr., Treasurer, New York Society for Promoting the Manumission of Slaves, 1812. (Proceedings of the American Convention for Promoting the Abolition of Slavery and Improving the Condition of the African Race, Philadelphia, 1812)
Newbold, George, second Vice President, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the School, and Chairman of the Committee of Correspondence, New York Society for Promoting the Manumission of Slaves, 1812. (Proceedings of the American Convention for Promoting the Abolition of Slavery and Improving the Condition of the African Race, Philadelphia, 1812)
Robbins, Willet, Chairman of the Standing Committee, delegate to the convention, New York Society for Promoting the Manumission of Slaves, 1812. (Proceedings of the American Convention for Promoting the Abolition of Slavery and Improving the Condition of the African Race, Philadelphia, 1812)
Rogers, Moses, New York, abolitionist, member of the New York Society for Promoting the Manumission of Slaves, founded 1785 (Basker, 2005, p. 223)
Sanford, Nathan, Counsellor, New York Society for Promoting the Manumission of Slaves, 1812. (Proceedings of the American Convention for Promoting the Abolition of Slavery and Improving the Condition of the African Race, Philadelphia, 1812)
Seaman, Willet, delegate to the convention, New York Society for Promoting the Manumission of Slaves, 1812. (Proceedings of the American Convention for Promoting the Abolition of Slavery and Improving the Condition of the African Race, Philadelphia, 1812)
Seaman, Valentine, first Vice Presdient of the New York Society for Promoting the Manumission of Slaves, 1812. (Proceedings of the American Convention for Promoting the Abolition of Slavery and Improving the Condition of the African Race, Philadelphia, 1812)
Shotwell, Gilbert, delegate to the convention, New York Society for Promoting the Manumission of Slaves, 1812. (Proceedings of the American Convention for Promoting the Abolition of Slavery and Improving the Condition of the African Race, Philadelphia, 1812)
Simmons, John
Slocum, William T.
Slosson, William, Counsellor and Secretary of the Committee of Correspondence, New York Society for Promoting the Manumission of Slaves, 1812. (Proceedings of the American Convention for Promoting the Abolition of Slavery and Improving the Condition of the African Race, Philadelphia, 1812)
Smith, Melanton
Tompkins, Daniel D., 1774-1825, statesman. Vice President of the United States. Governor of New York State. Advocate for the abolishment of slavery in the United States. (Sinha, 2016, p. 83; Appletons’, 1888, Vol. VI, p. 130; American National Biography, Oxford University Press, New York, 2002, Vol. 21, p. 738; Dictionary of American Biography, Charles Scribner’s Sons, New York, 1936; Longacre, James B. & James Herring, National Portrait Gallery of Distinguished Americans. Philadelphia: American Academy of Fine Arts, 1834-1839)
Thompson, Jeremiah, delegate to the convention, New York Society for Promoting the Manumission of Slaves, 1812. (Proceedings of the American Convention for Promoting the Abolition of Slavery and Improving the Condition of the African Race, Philadelphia, 1812)
Troop, Robert
Tucker, Thomas, delegate to the convention, New York Society for Promoting the Manumission of Slaves, 1812. (Proceedings of the American Convention for Promoting the Abolition of Slavery and Improving the Condition of the African Race, Philadelphia, 1812)
Underhill, Joshua, delegate to the convention, New York Society for Promoting the Manumission of Slaves, 1812. (Proceedings of the American Convention for Promoting the Abolition of Slavery and Improving the Condition of the African Race, Philadelphia, 1812)
VanHook, Isaac A., Secretary, New York Society for Promoting the Manumission of Slaves, 1812. (Proceedings of the American Convention for Promoting the Abolition of Slavery and Improving the Condition of the African Race, Philadelphia, 1812)
Wadsworth, John, Counsellor, New York Society for Promoting the Manumission of Slaves, 1812. (Proceedings of the American Convention for Promoting the Abolition of Slavery and Improving the Condition of the African Race, Philadelphia, 1812)
Webster, Noah
Woolsey, W. W.
Wright, Isaac, Chairman of the Committee of Ways and Means, New York Society for Promoting the Manumission of Slaves, 1812. (Proceedings of the American Convention for Promoting the Abolition of Slavery and Improving the Condition of the African Race, Philadelphia, 1812)
