A Quaker School

James Bringhurst (1730-1810)
to John Chaloner
Holograph letter, March 22, 1792
Manuscript Division

At the suggestion of the Quaker reformer Anthony Benezet, the Philadelphia Society of Friends (Quakers) established a coeducational "Negro school" in 1770. Opened to slaves and free blacks of all ages, the school offered instruction in reading, writing, arithmetic, and Christian doctrine. James Bringhurst, a master carpenter and merchant, was among the school's trustees. Reporting on the progress of the school, Bringhurst extols the students for their intelligence and tenacity.