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Visualizing the Colored Conventions Movement
Capturing the period between 1830 and 1879, the following tables visualize colored convention trends and statistics about African Americans connected to the colored conventions movement. Convention delegates published statistical reports measuring “the condition of colored people” in several states and regions. Two such reports published in the 1843 and 1855 national colored conventions held in New York and Pennsylvania reflect delegates’ interest in printing statistics on African Americans in free states and slave states. Despite efforts, delegates ultimately provided information for a modicum of African American communities in the United States. Of all regions, northeastern free states are most represented in the reports. In addition to visualizing historical statistics printed by convention delegates, the Colored Conventions Project visualizes information directly drawn from convention proceedings, including rates of delegate attendance, Black occupations, Black wealth, and Black institutions.
To learn more about how to develop lesson plans engaging convention minutes and interactive media, write to CCPexhibits@udel.edu. Credits appear at the bottom of the page.
To interact with tables, hover over graphs and select values in right-hand columns.
Table of Contents
Figure 1. Delegate Attendance Trends at National Conventions, 1830 - 1864
Figure 2. Number of State and National Colored Conventions by Year, 1830-1879
Figure 3. Delegate Attendence at National Colored Conventions Organized by State, 1830-1879
Figure 4. Delegate Attendance at National Colored Conventions Organized by State, 1830-1839
Figure 5. Delegate Attendance at National Colored Conventions Organized by State, 1840-1849
Figure 6. Delegate Attendance at National Colored Conventions Organized by State, 1850-1859
Figure 7. Delegate Attendance at National Colored Conventions Organized by State, 1860-1879
Figure 8. Attendance Rates of Delegates Representing New York, Ohio, and Pennsylvania at National Colored Conventions, 1830-1879
Figure 9. Slave State Attendance at National Colored Conventions by State, 1830-1854
Figure 10. Number of State and National Colored Conventions, 1830-1879 (Comparative Chart)
Figure 11. Delegate Attendance at State and National Colored Conventions, 1830-1879
Figure 12. Reported Occupations in the Northeast and the "West," 1843
Figure 13. Reported Real Estate Wealth Per Person, 1843
Figure 14. Reported Societies in New York, 1843
Figure 15. Reported Societies in the Northeast and the "West," 1843
Figure 16. Reported Colored Inhabitants, 1843
Figure 17. Reported Occupations of Colored People in the Northeast, 1855
Figure 18. Reported Occupations of Colored People in Connecticut, 1855
Figure 19. Reported Occupations of Colored People in Maine, 1855
Figure 20. Reported Occupations of Colored People in Massachusetts, 1855
Figure 21. Reported Occupations of Colored People in New York, 1855
Figure 22. Reported Occupations of Colored People in Vermont, 1855
Figure 23. Reported Colored Inhabitants in California, 1855
Figure 24. "Probable" Wealth of Colored Population in California, 1855
Figure 25. Delegates' Pledges toward California Convention Fund, 1855
1830s – 1870s
Figure 1. Delegate Attendance Trends at National Colored Conventions, 1830-1864
This graph charts rates of delegate attendance at national conventions in the northeastern United States between 1830 and 1864. The minutes to the colored conventions movement offer many insights into Black mobility and geographically concentrated activities during the ante- and postbellum eras.
Source: Minutes of known national and state colored conventions, 2014. Click here to see a complete list of colored conventions.
Figure 2. Colored Conventions by Year, 1830-1879
This graph shows the number of known national and state colored conventions held between 1830 and 1879. For reference, click here to see a complete list of national and state conventions.
Source: Minutes of known national and state colored conventions, 2014. Click here to see a complete list of colored conventions.
Figure 3. Delegate Attendance at National Colored Conventions by State, 1830-1879
This graph organizes by state delegates' attendance at known national colored conventions between 1830 and 1879. Click here to see a complete list of national conventions.
Source: Minutes of known national and state colored conventions, 2014. Click here to see a complete list of colored conventions.
Figure 4. Delegate Attendance at National Colored Conventions Organized by State, 1830-1839
This graph organizes by state delegates' attendance at known national colored conventions between 1830 and 1839. Click here to see a complete list of national conventions.
Source: Minutes of known national and state colored conventions, 2014. Click here to see a complete list of colored conventions.
Figure 5. Delegate Attendance at National Colored Conventions Organized by State, 1840-1849
This graph organizes by state delegates' attendance at known national colored conventions between 1840 and 1849. Click here to see a complete list of national conventions.
Source: Minutes of known national and state colored conventions, 2014. Click here to see a complete list of colored conventions.
Figure 6. Delegate Attendance at National Colored Conventions Organized by State, 1850-1859
This graph organizes by state delegates' attendance at known national colored conventions between 1850 and 1859. For reference, click here to see a complete list of national conventions.
Source: Minutes of known national and state colored conventions, 2014. Click here to see a complete list of colored conventions.
Figure 7. Delegate Attendance at National Colored Conventions by State, 1860-1879
This graph organizes by state delegates' attendance at known national colored conventions between 1860 and 1879. For reference, click here to see a complete list of national conventions.
Source: Minutes of known national and state colored conventions, 2014. Click here to see a complete list of colored conventions.
Figure 8. Attendance Rates of Delegates Representing New York, Ohio, and Pennsylvania at National Colored Conventions, 1830-1879
This graph compares the attendance rates of delegates representing New York, Ohio, and Pennsylvania at known national colored conventions between 1830 and 1879. Dates refer to the start date of a particular national convention. For reference, click here to see a complete list of national conventions.
Source: Minutes of known national and state colored conventions, 2014. Click here to see a complete list of colored conventions.
Figure 9. Slave State Delegate Attendance at National Conventions by State, 1830-1854
This graph compares rates of attendance of delegates representing slave-holding states at known national colored conventions between 1830 and 1854. For reference, click here to see a complete list of national conventions.
Source: Minutes of known national and state colored conventions, 2014. Click here to see a complete list of colored conventions.
Figure 10. Number of State and National Colored Conventions, 1830-1879 (Comparative chart)
This graph compares the number of known national and state colored conventions held between 1830 and 1879. For reference, click here to see a complete list of national and state conventions.
Source: Minutes of known national and state colored conventions, 2014. Click here to see a complete list of colored conventions.
Figure 11. Delegate Attendance at State and National Colored Conventions, 1830-1879
This graph compares delegates' attendance at known national and state colored conventions between 1830 and 1879. For reference, click here to see a complete list of national and state conventions.
Source: Minutes of known national and state colored conventions, 2014. Click here to see a complete list of colored conventions.
1840s
Figure 12. Reported Occupations in the Northeast and the "West," 1843
This graph charts the number and variety of reported occupations in the northeast and the west. Cities without values reflect absent statistics in the printed report.
Source: Report of the Committee Upon the Condition of the Colored People presented at the 1843 National Convention of Colored Citizens at Buffalo, NY.
Figure 13. Reported Real Estate Wealth Per Person, 1843
This table describes the amount of real estate wealth per colored person in New York and Ohio cities. The value of real estate is adjusted for population in its visualization of geographically located wealth.
Source: Report of the Committee Upon the Condition of the Colored People presented at the 1843 National Convention of Colored Citizens at Buffalo, NY.
Figure 14. Reported Societies in New York, 1843
This graph represents the number and variety of reported societies in cities in New York. Cities without values reflect absent statistics in the printed report.
Source: Report of the Committee Upon the Condition of the Colored People presented at the 1843 National Convention of Colored Citizens at Buffalo, NY.
Figure 15. Reported Societies in the Northeast and the "West," 1843
This graph compares the number and variety of reported societies in Massachusetts and Ohio.
Source: Report of the Committee Upon the Condition of the Colored People presented at the 1843 National Convention of Colored Citizens at Buffalo, NY.
Figure 16. Reported Colored Inhabitants, 1843
This graph compares reported populations of colored people in Massachusetts, New York and Ohio.
Report of the Committee Upon the Condition of the Colored People presented at the 1843 National Convention of Colored Citizens at Buffalo, NY.
1850s
Figure 17. Reported Occupations of Colored People in the Northeast, 1855
This graph compares reported statistics on colored people’s occupations in northeastern states. Some apprentice positions have been combined with the primary professional title to yield legible results.
Source: "Untitled Report" presented at the 1855 National Convention of the Colored Citizens in Pennsylvania at Philadelphia, PA.
Figure 18. Reported Occupations of Colored People in Connecticut, 1855
This chart represents the number and variety of occupations among colored people in Connecticut. Some apprentice positions have been combined with primary professional titles to yield legible results.
Source: "Untitled Report" presented at the 1855 National Convention of the Colored Citizens in Pennsylvania at Philadelphia, PA.
Figure 19. Reported Occupations of Colored People in Maine, 1855
This chart represents the number and variety of occupations among colored people in Maine. Some apprentice positions have been combined with primary professional titles to yield legible results.
Source: "Untitled Report" presented at the 1855 National Convention of the Colored Citizens in Pennsylvania at Philadelphia, PA.
Figure 20. Reported Occupations of Colored People in Massachusetts, 1855
This chart represents the number and variety of occupations among colored people in Massachusetts. Some apprentice positions have been combined with primary professional titles to yield legible results.
Source: "Untitled Report" presented at the 1855 National Convention of the Colored Citizens in Pennsylvania at Philadelphia, PA.
Figure 21. Reported Occupations of Colored People in New York, 1855
This chart represents the number and variety of occupations among colored people in New York. Some apprentice positions have been combined with primary professional titles to yield legible results.
Source: "Untitled Report" presented at the 1855 National Convention of the Colored Citizens in Pennsylvania at Philadelphia, PA.
Figure 22. Reported Occupations of Colored People in Vermont, 1855
This chart represents the number and variety of occupations among colored people in Vermont. Some apprentice positions have been combined with primary professional titles to yield legible results.
"Untitled Report" presented at the 1855 National Convention of the Colored Citizens in Pennsylvania at Philadelphia, PA.
Figure 23. Reported Colored Inhabitants in California, 1855
This graph compares reported populations of colored people in cities in California.
Source: Report on the statistics of the colored population and their wealth given at the 1855 California State Convention at Sacramento, CA.
Figure 24. "Probable" Wealth of Colored Population in California, 1855
This graph compares estimates of the networth of Black communities in California.
Source: Report on the statistics of the colored population and their wealth given at the 1855 California State Convention at Sacramento, CA
Figure 25. Delegates' Pledges toward California Convention Fund, 1855
This chart compares the amount of money delegates pledged to sustain state colored conventions in California.
Source: Reported delegates' pledges to the California Convention Fund, 1855 California State Convention at Sacramento, CA.
Credits
Project developed and lead by: Sarah L. Patterson, CCP Co-coordinator
Undergraduate research and data visualization support: Caleb Trotter, Nathan Nikolic
