consideration. The Pennsylvania Society reported simply that it had
been instrumental in the liberation of "many hundreds" of persons. The
different branches, however, did not rest with mere liberation; they
endeavored generally to improve the condition of the Negroes in their
respective communities, each one being expected to report to the
Convention on the number of freedmen in its state and on their property,
employment, and conduct. From time to time also the Convention prepared
addresses to these people, and something of the spirit of its work and
also of the social condition of the Negro at the time may be seen from
the following address of 1796:

To the Free Africans and Other Free People of Color in the United
States.

The Convention of Deputies from the Abolition Societies in the
United States, assembled at Philadelphia, have undertaken to address
you upon subjects highly interesting to your prosperity.

They wish to see you act worthily of the rank you have acquired as
freemen, and thereby to do credit to yourselves, and to justify the
friends and advocates of your color in the eyes of the world.

As the result of our united reflections, we have concluded to call
your attention to the following articles of advice. We trust they
are dictated by the purest regard for your welfare, for we view you
as Friends and Brethren.

_In the first place_, We earnestly recommend to you, a regular
attention to the important duty of public worship; by which means
you will evince gratitude to your Creator, and, at the same time,