PHILADELPHIA, March 21, 2001—An exhibit, “Forging Freedom: The Influence of the Pennsylvania Abolition Society on Civil Rights and Humanitarian Movements,” will be presented by The Historical Society of Pennsylvania at 1300 Locust St., Philadelphia, from April 25 through Aug. 31, 2001. Admission to the exhibit only will be $1. Children under 14 must be accompanied by an adult.

Admission hours will be Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, 9:30 a.m.-4:00 p.m. (closing time 4:45 p.m.); Wednesday 1:00 p.m.-8:00 p.m. (closing time 8:45 p.m.); Saturday 10:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. (closing time 4:45 p.m.). For more information visit the Society’s web site at www.hsp.org or call (215)732-6200 ext. 246.

Background of the exhibit: In 1775, while the American colonies struggled for political independence, their inhabitants were questioning the definitions of individual and civil rights. The Society for the Relief of Free Negroes Unlawfully Held in Bondage was founded in that year, and later became known as the Pennsylvania Abolition Society. It is the occasion of the 225th Anniversary of that society that inspires this exhibit. Guided by the sentiments expressed in the 1775 Preamble to the first Constitution of the Pennsylvania Abolition Society, this exhibit will highlight items from The Historical Society of Pennsylvania’s collections representing organizations devoted to the achievement of civil and humanitarian rights.

The exhibit showcases some 93 items including photographs, prints, broadsides, maps, manuscripts, pamphlets, books and artifacts covering movements that included women’s suffrage and gay rights.

The papers of the Pennsylvania Abolition Society are housed at the Historical Society.

Founded in 1824 in Philadelphia, The Historical Society of Pennsylvania is one of the oldest historical societies in the United States and holds historical materials of national importance. It is one of the largest family history libraries in the nation, has excellent printed collections on local and regional history, and offers a manuscript collection renowned for its 17th-, 18th-, and 19th-century holdings.