James Forten Jr (1811 - abt. 1870)

Born 15 Nov 1811 in Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States

Ancestors

Husband of Jane M. (Vogelsang) Forten — married 15 Jan 1839 in New York City, New York County, New York, United States

Descendants

Problems/Questions Profile manager: US Black Heritage Project WikiTree [send private message]

James Forten Jr is a part of US Black history. Join: US Black Heritage Project Discuss: black_heritage

Biography

James Forten Jr is Notable.

James Forten Jr was an American abolitionist.

James Forten Jr was the son of Abolitionist James Forten and Charlotte (Vandine) Forten. ^[1]

He began to voice his abolitionist views at an early age, becoming well known in abolitionist social circles by the age of 20.

He married Jane Vogelsang in New York City, NY on Jan 15, 1839, as recorded by AME Zion Church. ^[2] Together, they had the following (known) children:

1. James Vogelsang Forten, b. Dec 1839.
2. Maria G. Forten, b. 1843, d. 28 Jun 1847

He served as the secretary of the group that published the "Appeal of Forty Thousand Citizens, Threatened with Disfranchisement, to the People of Pennsylvania," in 1838. ^[3]

He was a member of the Young Men's Anti-Slavery Society in Philadelphia as well as the American Moral Reform Society. The American Moral Reform Society formed at the Fifth Annual Convention of the Free People of Color at Philadelphia on June 5th, 1835. At formation of this society, James Forten Jr, was designated as the recording secretary.^[4]

In 1844, it came to light that James Forten Jr had engaged in forgery amounting to almost $17,000, connected to his involvement in lotteries. He left the city, as not much is known about him after this time. ^[5]

A series of legal notifications appear in The Evening Post starting Jan 27, 1851, from his wife Jane Forten, asking for relief, filed in the state supreme court. ^[6]

Research Notes

Author Julie Winch states the lack of information after the death of his wife may be due to not wanting to be located by creditors.

Profile is in progress. Please feel free to ADD sources, but do not remove any. Please make sure the source belongs to HIM.

Sources

1. ↑ Births of Forten children to James Forten & Charlotte (Vandine) Forten, in chapter 5, "One Happy Family Circle," in Winch, Julie. A Gentleman of Color: The Life of James Forten. (New York: Oxford University Press, 2002), pages 111-113
2. ↑ Marriage of James Forten Jr and Jane Vogelsang, 15 Jan 1839, marriage ID#2220307664, in New York City, NY. Ancestry.com. New York City, Compiled Marriage Index, 1600s-1800s. (New York Genealogical and Biographical Society, 1939 Research Library, comp. New York City, Marriages, 1600s-1800s)
3. ↑ Purvis, Robert. Appeal of Forty Thousand Citizens, Threatened with Disfranchisement, to the People of Pennsylvania, 1838.
4. ↑ "Constitution of the American Moral Reform Society," as published in "The Liberator," (Boston, Massachusetts) on Saturday, 8 August 1835, page 4, https://www.newspapers.com/image/34584445/
5. ↑ "Forgery Case." Massachusetts Spy, vol. 73, no. 10, 6 March 1844, p. [3]. NewsBank: America's News – Historical and Current, page 3 Accessed 12 Feb. 2022.
6. ↑ The evening post, January 27, 1851, Page 3, Image 3. (New York [N.Y.]) page 3, column 6 Access via NY State Historical Newspapers.

• An Address Delivered Before the Ladies' Anti-Slavery Society of Philadelphia, on the Evening of the 14th of April, 1836 by James Forten, Jr., Historical Society of Pennsylvania,view pamphlet online. (inaccurately attributed to his father, when clearly identified as James Forten Jr.) Also available on Google books.
• https://www.blackpast.org/african-american-history/1836-james-forten-jr-put-armour-righteousness/
• http://digitalhistory.hsp.org/pafrm/person/james-forten-jr