![](https://www.colonistscitizensconstitutions.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/cat-27.-27-2-1200x1799.jpeg)
Cat. 27
Constitution of the Pennsylvania Abolition Society, 1787
Curator Commentary
00:00
Constitutions were not only written to create governments; they were also used by organizations in civil society to lay out their structures and operational processes. In 1787, members of the Philadelphia-based Pennsylvania Abolition Society wrote a constitution to define their organization’s membership, structure, and goals. They recognized that American constitutions — both federal and state — could be interpreted to support their anti-slavery ideals.
By offering legal help to enslaved men and women, the Society hoped to exploit opportunities for freedom. Antislavery activists, a group that included many powerful African American voices, all aimed to find the best strategies for ending the injustice of human bondage.
![](https://www.colonistscitizensconstitutions.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/27-2-scaled-200x300.jpg)
![](https://www.colonistscitizensconstitutions.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/27-scaled-205x300.jpg)
![](https://www.colonistscitizensconstitutions.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/CAT27-scaled-1-300x210.jpg)
![](https://www.colonistscitizensconstitutions.org/wp-content/themes/colonistscitizensconstitutions/img/sheet-large.jpg)