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Conventions by Region
Starting in 1830 until well after the Civil War, free and fugitive Blacks came together in state and national political conventions to strategize about how they might achieve educational, labor, and legal justice at a moment when Black rights were constricting nationally and locally. The Colored Conventions movement took place during critical decades which witnessed devastating race riots and the growing popularity of the American Colonization Society; the Fugitive Slave Law and the proliferation of derogatory representations of Blacks; the Civil War and Reconstruction; and the rise of repeated Black disenfranchisement in legal, labor, and educational spheres in the late nineteenth century. Speakers at conventions responded to these issues by calling for community-based action that gathered funds, established schools and literary societies, and urged the necessity of hard work in what would become a decades-long campaign for civil and human rights. The convention minutes collected here illustrate the immense struggles and the profound courage of those who made it a point to organize and stand for what was rightly theirs.
Most conventions were organized either as state or national meetings, though there were some regional meetings for New England and the southern states, for example. You may also search by region, though these are twenty-first century terms and don't reflect the changing borders of the US in the nineteenth century itself. This collection is preserved in the University of Delaware Library Institutional Repository (UDSpace).
Select a convention to learn more information, to view minutes in a document viewer, or to download minutes in PDF format.
Conventions by Region
Note to visitors: In most cases, each convention has one primary document associated with it. When multiple documents are available for a convention, they are presented below the respective conventions with indentations.
Canada | Northeastern | Midwestern | Southern | Western
Canada
1847 Canadian Convention of the Colored Population held in Drummondville ON
1851 North American Convention held in Toronto ON
1853 Canadian Convention for the Improvement of Colored Inhabitants held in Amherstburg ON
1858 Canadian Convention held in Chatham ON
Northeastern United States
1830 National Convention of Free People of Colour held in Philadelphia PA
1831 National Convention of Free People of Colour held in Philadelphia PA
1832 National Convention of Free People of Colour held in Philadelphia PA
1833 National Convention of Free People of Colour held in Philadelphia PA
1834 National Convention of Free People of Colour held in New York NY
1835 National Convention of Free People of Colour held in Philadelphia PA
Address to the 1835 Convention by William Hamilton
1840 New York State Convention of Colored Citizens held in Albany
Newspaper Reports on the 1840 Convention
1841 Maine State Convention of Colored Citizens held in Portland
A Call to the Colored Citizens of Maine and New Hampshire
1841 New York State Convention of Colored Citizens held in Troy
1841 Pennsylvania State Convention of Colored Freemen held in Pittsburgh
1843 Mid-Atlantic Regional Temperance Convention of Colored Citizens held in Salem NJ
1843 National Convention of Colored Citizens held in Buffalo NY
1844 New York State Convention of Colored Citizens held in Schenectady
Report on the 1844 New York State Convention
1845 New York State Free Suffrage Convention held in Geneva
1847 National Convention of Colored People and Their Friends held in Troy NY
1848 Pennsylvania State Convention of Colored Citizens held in Harrisburg
1849 Connecticut State Convention of Coloured Men held in New Haven
1849 New Jersey State Convention of Coloured Citizens held in Trenton
1850 Maine State Colored Convention held in Portland
1850 Fugitive Slave Law Convention held in Cazenovia NY
1851 Pennsylvania State Convention of Colored People held in Sandy Lake (Seeking Records)
1851 New York State Convention of Colored People held in Albany
1853 National Convention pf the Free People of Color held in Rochester NY
1854 Connecticut State Convention held in Middletown
1854 Massachusetts State Council of Colored Citizens held in Boston
1854 New York State Council of Colored People held in Albany
1855 Connecticut State Convention of Colored Men held in Hartford
1855 New York State Convention of Colored Citizens held in Albany
1855 New York State Convention of Colored Men held in Troy
1855 National Convention of Colored People held in Philadelphia PA
1858 Massachusetts State Convention of Colored Citizens held in New Bedford
1858 New York State Convention of Colored Citizens held in Troy
1859 New England Regional Convention of Colored Citizens held in Boston MA
1863 State Convention of Colored Citizens held in Poughkeepsie NY
1864 National Convention of Colored Men held in Syracuse NY
Report on the 1864 National Convention of Colored Men held in Syracuse NY (The Christian Recorder, October 15, 1864)
Report on the 1864 National Convention of Colored Men held in Syracuse NY (Rutland Weekly Herald, October 20, 1864)
1865 Connecticut State Convention of Colored Men held in New Haven
Report on the 1865 Connecticut State Convention of Colored Men held in New Haven (National Anti-Slavery Standard)
1865 New England Regional Convention of Colored People held in Boston MA
1865 New Jersey State Convention of Coloured Men held in Trenton
1865 Pennsylvania State Equal Rights League Convention held in Harrisburg (Feb. 8-10)
1865 Pennsylvania State Equal Rights League Convention held in Harrisburg (Aug. 9-10)
1866 New York State Convention of Colored Men held in Albany
1866 Pennsylvania State Equal Rights League Convention held in Pittsburgh
1867 National Convention of the Colored Soldiers and Sailors in Philadelphia PA
Report on the 1867 Colored Soldiers and Sailors Convention
1868 Pennsylvania State Equal Rights League Convention held in Williamsport
1870 New York State Convention of Colored Voters held in Syracuse
1872 New England Regional Convention held in Boston MA (Seeking Records)
1872 New York State Convention of Colored Men held in Troy (Seeking Records)
1872 Cuban Slavery Convention held in New York NY
1872 Pennsylvania State Equal Rights League Convention held in Harrisburg
1873 Delaware State Convention of Colored People held in Dover
1873 New Jersey State Convention of New Citizens held in New Brunswick
Midwestern United States
1842 Indiana State Convention of Colored Citizens held in Indianapolis
1843 Michigan State Convention of Colored Citizens held in Detroit
1843 Ohio State Colored People's State Convention held in Columbus
1844 Ohio State Convention of Colored Citizens
1848 National Convention of Colored Freemen held in Cleveland OH
1849 Ohio State Convention of Coloured Citizens held in Columbus
1850 Ohio State Convention of Colored Citizens held in Columbus
1851 Indiana State Convention of People of Color held in Indianapolis
Report on the 1851 Indiana State Convention
1851 Ohio State Convention of Colored Citizens held in Columbus
Address to the 1851 Ohio State Convention
1852 Ohio State Convention of Colored Freemen held in Cincinnati
1853 Illinois State Convention of Colored Citizens held in Chicago
1853 Ohio State Convention of Colored Freemen held in Columbus
1854 National Emigration Convention held in Cleveland OH
1856 Illinois State Convention of Colored Citizens held in Alton
1856 Ohio State Convention of Colored Men held in Columbus
1857 Iowa State Convention of Colored Men held in Muscatine
1857 Ohio State Convention of Colored Men held in Columbus
1858 Ohio State Convention of Colored Men held in Cincinnati
1859 Indiana State Convention of Colored Men held in Indianapolis
1863 Kansas State Convention of Colored Citizens held in Leavenworth
1865 Indiana State Convention of Colored People held in Indianapolis
1865 Michigan State Equal Rights League Convention held in Detroit
1865 Ohio State Convention of Colored Men held in Xenia
1865 National Equal Rights League Convention held in Cleveland OH
1866 Illinois State Convention of Colored Men held in Galesburg
1866 Indiana State Equal Rights League Convention held in Indianapolis
1866 Kansas State Convention of Colored Citizens held in Lawrence
1866 Kentucky State Convention of Colored Men held in Lexington
1867 Kentucky State Convention of Colored Men held in Lexington
1867 Ohio State Equal Rights League Convention held in Cincinnati
1868 Iowa State Colored Convention held in Des Moines
1869 Kentucky State Colored Educational Convention held in Louisville (Seeking Records)
1869 Minnesota State Convention of Colored Citizens held in St. Paul
1870 Missouri State Colored People's Educational Convention held in Jefferson City
1871 Kentucky State Convention of Colored Citizens held in Frankfort
1871 National Convention of Colored People held in St. Louis MO
1871 Nebraska State Convention held in Omaha
1871 Ohio State Convention of Colored Men held in Columbus
1872 Nebraska State Convention of Colored People held in Omaha
1873 Kentucky State Convention held in Frankfort
Report on the 1873 Kentucky State Convention held in Frankfort, KY (The Cleveland Morning Herald, November 11, 1873).
1875 National Convention of Colored Newspaper Men held in Cincinnati OH
1877 Kentucky State Colored Educational Convention held in Frankfort
1882 Kansas State Convention of Colored Men held in Parsons
1883 National Convention held in Louisville KY
1884 Colored Men's Inter-State Conference held in Pittsburgh
1885 Kentucky Colored State Convention in Lexington
1893 National Colored Convention held in Cincinnati OH (Seeking Records)
Southern United States
1852 Maryland State Convention of Free Colored People held in Baltimore
1865 Arkansas State Convention of Colored Citizens held in Little Rock
1865 Washington, D.C. Celebration by the Colored People's Educational Monument Association in Memory of Abraham Lincoln
1865 Louisiana State Conventionof Colored People held in New Orleans
1865 Mississippi State Colored Convention held in Vicksburg, MS
Report on the 1865 Mississippi State Colored Convention held in Vicksburg, MS (The Liberator, October 27, 1865)
Report on the 1865 Mississippi State Colored Convention held in Vicksburg, MS (The Anglo-African, November 11, 1865)
Report on the 1865 Mississippi State Colored Convention held in Vicksburg, MS (The Anglo-African, November 18, 1865)
1865 North Carolina State Convention of Colored People held in Raleigh
Report on the 1865 North Carolina State Convention (The Liberator)
Report on the 1865 North Carolina State Convention (The Christian Recorder)
Letter to the 1865 North Carolina State Convention by William W. Coleman
1865 City Meeting of the Colored Citizens of New Bern, NC
Report on the 1865 City Meeting of the Colored Citizens of New Bern, NC (The Milwaukee Daily Sentinel, September 11, 1865)
1865 South Carolina State Convention of Colored People held in Charleston
1865 Tennessee State Convention of Colored Men held in Nashville
1865 City Meeting of the Colored Citizens of Norfolk VA
1865 Virginia State Convention of Colored People held in Alexandria
1866 Georgia State Freedmen's Convention held in Augusta (Jan. 10)
1866 Georgia State Freedmen's Convention held in Augusta (Apr. 4)
1866 Georgia State Convention of the Equal Rights and Educational Association held in Macon
1866 Maryland State Convention of Colored People held in Baltimore
1866 North Carolina State Freedmen's Convention held in Raleigh
1866 Tennessee State Convention of Colored People held in Nashville
1866 Texas State Central Committee of Colored Men (Seeking Records)
1868 Maryland State Convention of Colored Men held in Baltimore
1869 National Convention of Colored Men held in Washington DC
1869 National Colored Labor Convention held in Washington DC
1869 Georgia State Colored Convention held in Macon
1869 Maryland State Colored Convention held in Baltimore (Seeking Records)
Report of 1869 Maryland Convention
1869 Virginia State Convention held in Richmond (Seeking Records)
1870 Louisiana State Convention held in New Orleans (Seeking Records)
1871 Southern Regional Convention of Colored Men held in Columbia SC
1871 Tennessee State Convention of Colored Citizens held in Nashville
1872 National Convention of Colored People held in New Orleans LA
1873 National Convention held in Washington DC
Report on the 1873 National Convention held in Washington DC (The Evening Star, December 10, 1873)
Report on the 1873 National Convention held in Washington DC (Frank Leslie's Illustrated Newspaper, December 27, 1873)
Report on the 1873 National Convention held in Washington DC (Daily Rocky Mountain News, December 10, 1873)
1873 National Civil Rights Convention held in Washington DC
Report on the 1873 National Convention held in Washington DC (The Evening Star, December 10, 1873)
Report on the 1873 National Convention held in Washington DC (Frank Leslie's Illustrated Newspaper, December 27, 1873)
Report on the 1873 National Convention held in Washington DC (Daily Rocky Mountain News, December 10, 1873)
Report on the 1873 National Civil Rights Convention held in Washington DC (The New National Era, December 11, 1873)
Report on the 1873 Louisiana Delegation to the National Civil Rights Convention held in Washington DC (The National Era, December 11, 1873)
Report on the 1873 National Civil Rights Convention held in Washington DC (Daily Rocky Mountain News, December 14, 1873)
Report on the 1873 National Civil Rights Convention held in Washington DC (Little Rock Daily Republican, December 7, 1873).
Report on the 1873 National Civil Rights Convention held in Washington DC (Milwaukee Daily Sentinel, December 10, 1873)
Report on the 1873 National Convention held in Washington DC (Milwaukee Daily Sentinel, December 15, 1873)
Report on the 1873 National Convention held in Washington DC (Georgia Weekly Telegraph and Georgia Journal & Messenger, December 16, 1873).
Report on the 1873 National Civil Rights Convention held in Washington DC (Georgia Weekly Telegraph and Georgia JOurnal & Messenger, Dec 16, 1873 - Second Report)
Report on the 1873 National Convention held in Washington DC (The Evening Star, December 9, 1873)
Report on the 1873 National Civil Rights Convention held in Washington DC (Daily Arkansas Gazette, December 10, 1873)
Report on the 1873 National Civil Rights Convention held in Washington DC (Little Rock Daily Republican, December 8, 1873)
Report on the 1873 National Civil Rights Convention held in Washington DC (North American and United States Gazette, December 15, 1873)
1873 Louisiana State Convention held in New Orleans
1873 Texas State Convention of Colored Citizens held in Brenham
1874 Tennessee State Convention held in Nashville (Seeking Records)
1877 North Carolina State Convention of Colored Citizens held in Raleigh
1879 National Conference of Colored Men held in Nashville TN
1879 Texas State Convention of Colored People held in Houston
1880 Texas State Farmers Association Convention held in Dallas
1883 Arkansas State Convention held in Little Rock
1883 National Civil Rights Meeting held in Washington, D.C.
1883 South Carolina State Convention of Colored Men held in Columbia
1883 Texas State Convention of Colored Men held in Austin
1884 Florida State Convention held in Gainesville
1884 Texas State Convention in Houston
1888 Georgia State Union Brotherhood Convention held in Macon
1889 Texas State Convention of Colored Men held in Waco
1895 Texas State Convention of Colored Men held in Houston
1899 Hampton Negro Conference
Western United States
1855 California State Convention of Colored Citizens held in Sacramento
1856 California State Convention of Colored Citizens held in Sacramento
1857 California State Convention of Colored People held in San Francisco
1865 California State Convention of Colored Citizens held in Sacramento
