Frequently Asked Questions: James Forten

Who was James Forten? 

James Forten (1766-1842), a free man of African descent, built upon his coming-of-age in Revolutionary-era Philadelphia and his wartime experience to forge himself into a changemaker in the city and the young United States. Forten became a successful businessman and devoted great time and effort to philanthropy and the abolition of slavery.

When was James Forten born? 

Forten was born in 1766 in Philadelphia. At nine years old, Forten was present when the Declaration of Independence was first read publicly at the Pennsylvania State House (now Independence Hall) on July 8, 1776.  

Did James Forten take part in the Revolution? 

Yes. Forten served as a sailor on a privateer ship during the Revolutionary War. He was captured by the British and imprisoned for months in New York before being released in 1782. 

What did he do after the war? 

The son of a sailmaker, James Forten apprenticed with Robert Bridges, his father’s former employer, during the war and took over Bridges’s shop when he retired. Forten owned one of the most successful sail lofts in Philadelphia and employed both Black and white workers. He became the wealthiest Black American of the early 1800s. 

Was James Forten involved in the abolition of slavery?

Forten used the money and power gained through his sail loft to work for the abolition of slavery and civil rights for Black Americans. He was a founding member of the Free African Society with Richard Allen and Absalom Jones and later joined other anti-slavery groups.