Graduation Semester and Year
Summer 2024
Language
English
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Arts in History
Department
History
First Advisor
Delana Price
Second Advisor
Andrew Milson
Third Advisor
Stephanie Cole
Abstract
This thesis centers around and attempts to answer the question: between the Revolutionary era and the beginning of the Civil War, how did some of the earliest local Black benevolent communities develop themselves over the course of their lifetime? Three Black benevolent societies established during the late eighteenth to mid nineteenth century period will be analyzed — the Free African Union Society of Newport and Providence Rhode Island, the Free African Society of Philadelphia and the New York African Society for Mutual Relief in Manhattan — to assist in answering this question. It follows the commonly held idea scholars have held about Black voluntary associations while also taking a closer look at how each of these organizations developed their values, principles, and social, economic and political aid. It examines each individual organization in the order of their founding, to understand the foundational elements that defined Black voluntary associations and observe the ways in which ideals were shared and modified. This project will place heavy emphasis on the fact that Black representatives used the “instrumental-expressive” voluntary benevolent association formula to design a cultural space that serves the distinctive needs of the Black community during a time of intense national slavery. It holds to the idea that Black voluntary associations first and foremost derived from eagerness among the Black community since before the Revolutionary War to become self-sufficient within a discriminatory social environment. Mutual aid services were tailored for the benefit of Black individuals oppressed by the traditional system, giving support, comfort, and status to people adjusting to a strange environment. It was a key element in the transition from slavery to freedom, even after the release of the Gradual Emancipation Laws across the north. Black voluntary associations were also used to create a distinct national identity as a means of distinguishing its community. Their foundation is intrinsically tied to core values of independence, self-determination, and social, political and economic empowerment for the Black community. They served as both an alternative to cultural assimilation into Euro American society and an outlet to secure equality within white culture.
Disciplines
African American Studies | American Material Culture | Cultural History | Social History | United States History
License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License
Recommended Citation
Williams, Marc T., "The Network for Autonomy: Development of Early Black Voluntary Associations and the Progress of the Black Community" (2024). History Theses. 71.
https://mavmatrix.uta.edu/history_theses/71
Included in
African American Studies Commons, American Material Culture Commons, Cultural History Commons, Social History Commons, United States History Commons