Asset
The constitution and by-laws of the Free African Civilization Society of Baltimore
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Date of ingest: 1 June 2026
Description: This pamphlet was distributed to members of the Free African Civilization Society of Baltimore, a Black benevolent society was a source of monetary, spiritual, and community support for free and formally enslaved Black men in the late 18th through the mid 19th centuries. The Free African Civilization Society of Baltimore had explicit membership requirements and provided monetary support for members at times of illness and to their family if the member died. This early example of mutual aid demonstrated the importance and power of community support for Black residents of Baltimore in the 1800s. This item held by UMBC was owned by Washington Perkins, a Black grocer born in 1810.