Stephen Smith (abolitionist) facts for kids
Stephen Smith was a Pennsylvanian African American who contributed large amounts of his wealth in the effort to abolish slavery.
Early life
Stephen Smith was born in Dauphin county, Pennsylvania in 1797 to a slave woman. Smith was five years old when he became the indentured servant to the Pennsylvanian businessman named Thomas Boude. At the age of 21 Smith had gathered enough money to purchase his freedom. Smith purchased his freedom for $50 in 1818.
Business endeavors
After purchasing his freedom Smith had big plans ahead of him and in the same year of 1816 Smith opened up his own Lumber business in Columbia, Pennsylvania. Smith would be very successful in the lumber business and looked for partners to grow his business even bigger. In the early 1830s Smith formed a partnership with William Whipper. Smith and Whipper would go and have huge success in the Lumber, coal, Philadelphia real estate, railroad cars, and investments in the stock market. Smith would make a big fortune with all that money Smith put it to good use and became a true leader of the black community in their efforts to fight slavery.
Abolitionist activism
In 1830 Smith was a chairman of the African American Abolitionist Organization in the town of Colombia, Pennsylvania. Word go out of Smith's success and many people grew jealous and felt the need to send Smith a message. In 1835 a group of unknown people vandalized the office of Smith and destroyed all his papers and records. This incident motivated Smith to abolish slavery more and more in the area. Smith would acquire a small hall in the area where African Americans would hold meetings. Smith would also help the local underground railroad that would run through Maryland and provide help all the way to Canada. After the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 Whipper and Smith persuaded 15,000 African Americans to make their way to a new start in Canada. After so many years of helping out slaves escape and his local community to have more rights in the eye of the government; Smith eventually died in 1873 of unknown reason.
