Alexander Hamilton Papers

Attendance at a Meeting of the Society for Promoting the Manumission of Slaves, 4 February 1785

Attendance at a Meeting of the Society
for Promoting the Manumission of Slaves1

New York, February 4, 1785. On this date Hamilton attended an organization meeting of the Society for Promoting the Manumission of Slaves held at the Coffee House in New York City. After the proposed constitution of the Society was read and adopted, the Society “Ordered—That Colonel Hamilton, Colonel Troup2 and Mr. Matlack3 be a Committee to Report a Line of Conduct to be recommended to the Members of the Society in relation to any Slaves possessed by them; and also to prepare a Recommendation to all such Persons as have manumitted or shall Manumit Slaves to transmit their names and the names and Ages of the Slaves manumitted; in Order that the same may be Registered and the Society be the better Enabled to detect Attempts to deprive such Manumitted Persons of their Liberty.”

MS, “Minutes of the Society for Promoting the Manumission of Slaves,” NewYork Historical Society, New York City.

1. At the first meeting of the society, held on January 25, 1785, a committee was appointed “to draw up a set of Rules for the Government of the said Society,” and “the Meeting was then adjourned to the 4th day of February next” (ibid.). H was one of thirty-two men who attended the meeting on February 4.

2. Robert Troup.

3. White Matlack.

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    Hamilton Papers
    Title
    Attendance at a Meeting of the Society for Promoting the Manumission of Slaves, 4 February 1785
    Authors
    Hamilton, Alexander
    Society for Promoting the Manumission of Slaves
    Date
    4 February 1785

    Reference

    Cite as
    “Attendance at a Meeting of the Society for Promoting the Manumission of Slaves, 4 February 1785,” Founders Online, National Archives, https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Hamilton/01-03-02-0409. [Original source: The Papers of Alexander Hamilton, vol. 3, 1782–1786, ed. Harold C. Syrett. New York: Columbia University Press, 1962, p. 597.]