Philadelphia History Meetup

Association of Philadelphia Tour Guides (APT) member Bob Branch, who is often out and about portraying Bishop Richard Allen, will share Black history stories from his days working at the Once Upon Nation storytelling benches on Sunday, May 3 from 7-8 pm. While this is especially helpful for those APT members who volunteer with the ‘HISTORY MATTERS Free Talks with Tour Guides’ every third Saturday, all members and the general public are welcome and encouraged to attend this free virtual session.

Stories will include:

• By the Book: Fugitive slave trial at Independence Hall. Judge Jacob Rush, brother of Dr. Benjamin Rush, sets escaped slave free because of Bible verse vs. Fugitive Slave Act of 1793.
• Democratic Decision: In 1817, 3000 free Africans meet at Mother Bethel AME Church and unanimously decide to remain in the US despite being denied citizenship and attendance at July 4th celebrations at Independence Hall.
• Speaking Out for Freedom: In 1844, Frederick Douglass gives a speech at Independence Hall talking about the irony of slavery existing in the land of the free.
• The Sailor and Isaac Hopper – The Inventors of the Underground Railroad: In 1787, as the Constitution is being written, Isaac Hopper, a Quaker, organizes a group of Quakers in Philadelphia to help an enslaved sailor escape to freedom.
• James Forten: On July 8, 1776, Forten, who was nine years-old and born free, hears the Declaration of Independence read aloud for the first time. He becomes a patriotic 14 year-old who serves on a privateer ship, is captured, but refuses to go to England. Later he becomes a wealthy sailmaker in Philadelphia who becomes disenchanted with slavery and racism in the US.
• Ona Judge: In 1796, free Africans in Philadelphia help Martha Washington’s enslaved servant escape from the President’s House.
• A Great Curiosity: In 1796, a Free African with Vitiligo, Henry Moss, charges 25 cents for his performances at the Black Horse Tavern. President Washington and Dr. Benjamin Rush attend. Because of this, Rush believes that all Africans are diseased and tries to cure them of their dark skin.

Please RSVP on the website to receive the Zoom link a day or so before the session. Reservations will close at 6 pm on May 3. Questions? Email Marianne Ruane at president@phillyguides.org. This is a really great opportunity to hear a veteran guide deliver some great Black history stories – sign up today and help to keep this history alive!

Join the Association of Philadelphia Tour Guides (APT) for a webinar by APT corporate member Vance Lehmkuhl of the American Vegan Center to learn about a 1776 trailblazer on Wednesday, May 27 at 7 pm on Zoom. Where he’s known at all, Anthony Benezet’s reputation is as a refugee from France, educational innovator, and pioneering abolitionist. But with the 250th anniversary of 1776, it’s worth noting how this soft-spoken Quaker paved the way for the Founding Fathers’ “Patriot” crusade.

This webinar for tour guides will highlight Benezet’s key role in popularizing both “natural rights” language (in the 1760s) and public opposition to British slavery among the colonists (in the 1770s), in addition to his seminal role in bringing his fellow Quakers to a game-changing milestone in 1776. We’ll also show how Benezet’s tireless work within the human sphere was tied to his revolutionary advocacy for animals.

This Zoom presentation is free and all are welcome. To receive the Zoom link, please RSVP on the website by Wednesday, May 27 at 6 pm. Questions? Email Marianne Ruane at president@phillyguides.org. Please join us – it’s a great opportunity to up your tour guide game with some lesser known history!