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Classroom · Grades 6–12

James Forten

James Forten, a Revolutionary veteran and prosperous sailmaker, argued from the nation’s founding documents that free Black Americans were citizens entitled to equal rights.

Lesson at a Glance

Grades
Grades 6–12
Time
One class period (20–40 minutes)
Standards
NCSS Themes 2 (Time, Continuity, and Change) and 10 (Civic Ideals and Practices); C3 D2.Civ.14.6-8, D2.His.5.9-12
Reading
James Forten (profile)

Big Idea

James Forten, a Revolutionary veteran and prosperous sailmaker, argued from the nation’s founding documents that free Black Americans were citizens entitled to equal rights.

Before Class

Students read the profile of James Forten, including the Key Dates and Sources.

Discussion Questions

  1. Forten said he heard the Declaration of Independence read in 1776 and returned to it all his life. How did he use it in his political arguments?
  2. Why did most free Black Philadelphians in 1817 reject the American Colonization Society, even though some Black leaders saw emigration as a path to independence?
  3. In 1838 Pennsylvania took the vote from Forten despite his war service and his property. What does that reversal reveal about citizenship in the early republic?
  4. How did Forten use his wealth, not just his words, to advance the antislavery cause?

Activity

Students read Letter I of Forten’s Letters from a Man of Colour alongside the second paragraph of the Declaration of Independence. In pairs (25–35 minutes), they mark each place where Forten borrows or echoes founding language and explain what he gains by doing so. The class then compares Forten’s measured appeal to Pennsylvania legislators with the tone of an assigned excerpt from Walker’s Appeal and discusses why two Black writers of the early republic might choose such different strategies.

Primary Sources

Cite this page
MLA
“Classroom lesson: James Forten.” Black-History.com, 30 Sept. 2026, https://black-history.com/classroom/james-forten/.
APA
Black-History.com Editors. (2026, September 30). Classroom lesson: James Forten. Black-History.com. https://black-history.com/classroom/james-forten/
Chicago
Black-History.com Editors. “Classroom lesson: James Forten.” Black-History.com. September 30, 2026. https://black-history.com/classroom/james-forten/.
Editorial Note

By the Black-History.com editors. Last reviewed 30 September 2026. To suggest a primary source or a correction, write to editors@black-history.com or use our corrections form.

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