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1864 National Convention of Colored Men[edit]
The 1864 National Convention of Colored Men was a convention held by free black men as part of the Colored Conventions Movement. The convention was held from October 4 to October 7, 1864, in Syracuse, New York at the Wesleyan Methodist Church. Some of the most significant outcomes include the convention's Declaration of Rights and Wrongs and the establishment of the National Equal Rights League.
Convention Proceedings[edit]
The convention began on the evening of October 4, 1864, with a roll call and group prayer. The remainder of the first day was devoted to appointing permanent positions in the convention, with Frederick Douglas being assigned the role of president. The second day had three sessions, with the Declaration of Rights and Wrongs being presented during the evening session. During the afternoon session, Edmonia Highgate gave a speech in which she encouraged the convention attendees to stick to their equal rights values. The third day consisted of debate about where the headquarters of the NERL should be, as well as more speeches from various speakers. The final day included debate among representatives about other equal rights organizations, along with the appointing of John Langston as president of the NERL. The convention ended at noon on October 7[1].
Results of the Convention[edit]
The Rutland Weekly Herald described the proceedings of the convention as patriotic and having many intelligent speeches in its October 20, 1864 issue[2]. The Declaration of Rights and Wrongs outlined the natural rights that the convention believed black Americans deserved, along with how those rights had been violated. The NERL was established in order to fight for the rights and liberation of black people, and included representatives from both northern and southern states. It would become an influential equal rights organization for the next several decades in the United States, although ultimately falling out of popularity with the rise of the NAACP in the early 20th century[3].
References[edit]
- ^ National Convention of Colored Men (1864 : Syracuse, NY) (1864). "Proceedings of the National Convention of Colored Men; held in the City of Syracuse, N.Y.; October 4, 5, 6, and 7, 1864; with the Bill of Wrongs and Rights; and the Address to the American People". Bell, Howard H., ed. (1969) Minutes and Proceedings of the National Negro Conventions, 1830–1864. New York: Arno Press. Retrieved 2020-03-15.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ Humanities, National Endowment for the (1864-10-20). "Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, October 20, 1864, Image 3". ISSN 2475-2800. Retrieved 2020-03-11.
- ^ Smith, Christi M. (2009-12-18). "National Equal Rights League (1864-1921)". Retrieved 2020-03-11.
See Also[edit]
External Links[edit]