Our Collection

At the Institute’s core is the Gilder Lehrman Collection, one of the great archives in American history. More than 70,000 items cover five hundred years of American history, from Columbus’s 1493 letter describing the New World to soldiers’ letters from World War II and Vietnam. Explore primary sources, visit exhibitions in person or online, or bring your class on a field trip.

Back to Collection Search

Pennsylvania. General Assembly. The constitution of the Pennsylvania Society, for promoting the abolition of slavery, and the relief of free Negroes, unlawfully held in bondage...

High-resolution images are available to schools and libraries via subscription to American History, 1493-1943. Check to see if your school or library already has a subscription. Or click here for more information. You may also request a pdf of the image from us here.

Gilder Lehrman Collection #: GLC05827 Author/Creator: Pennsylvania. General Assembly. Place Written: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Type: Pamphlet Date: 1788 Pagination: 1 v. : 29 p. ; 20.2 x 12.4 cm.

Summary of Content: (title continues)... begun in the year 1774, and enlarged on the twenty-third of April, 1787 : to which are added, the acts of the General Assembly of Pennsylvania, for the gradual abolition of slavery. Benjamin Franklin serves as President of the Society.

People: Pennsylvania. General Assembly
Franklin, Benjamin, 1706-1790

Historical Era: The New Nation, 1783-1815

Subjects: African American HistorySlaveryAbolitionReform Movement

Sub Era: Creating a New Government

Order a Copy Citation Guidelines for Online Resources

Copyright Notice: The copyright law of the United States (title 17, United States Code) governs the making of photocopies or other reproductions of copyrighted material. Under certain conditions specified in the law, libraries and archives are authorized to furnish a photocopy or other reproduction. One of these specific conditions is that the photocopy or reproduction is not to be “used for any purpose other than private study, scholarship, or research.” If a user makes a request for, or later uses, a photocopy or reproduction for purposes in excess of “fair use,” that user may be liable for copyright infringement. This institution reserves the right to refuse to accept a copying order if, in its judgment, fulfillment of the order would involve violation of copyright law.