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C H A P T E R 4  World Traveler During his trip to England in 1833, William Lloyd Garrison told some of the English abolitionists about the free black leaders in the American movement, among them, the rising young Robert Purvis. Sometime in the early months of 1834, he suggested to Robert that he visit Great Britain to follow up on Garrison’s leads, continue to raise money for the Liberator, and fight the colonization movement. That movement seemed to be gaining some ground in Great Britain, as its American advocates traveled in that country, seeking support and extolling the virtues of developing the colony of Liberia. There was need for a representative of the American Anti-Slavery Society to visit England to rebut the arguments of the colonizationists. And who better than the handsome and well-spoken Robert Purvis, who could afford to pay for such a trip from his own purse? Robert may have hesitated for family reasons. His first son, William, was still a toddler and Harriet was again expecting a baby, due in the fall. However, she doubtless urged him to go. By the spring of 1834, he had agreed and Garrison wrote him letters of introduction to the English abolitionists . Purvis must see Daniel O’Connell, the Irish abolitionist, William Allen, a Quaker, and a scientist as well as a reformer, and George Thompson , an abolitionist who was contemplating a visit to the United States.1 England had recently freed its slaves in the West Indies and the Act of Emancipation was to become official on August 1, 1834. Robert Purvis wanted to be there to celebrate the day. He was also eager to persuade the British reformers of the iniquity of the colonization scheme, and to undo 43 the work of Philadelphian Elliot Cresson, who was preaching the gospel of colonization to British audiences at that time.2 The first hurdle was obtaining a U.S. passport. Purvis turned for help to Horace Binney, the Philadelphia lawyer who had settled his father ’s estate. Binney went to Louis McLane, the Secretary of State under President Andrew Jackson, who refused to issue a passport because he understood that Purvis was “a colored man.” Instead Binney obtained a “special passport” stating that Purvis was a free person of color born in the United States and in case of need was entitled to the protection of American officials abroad. Robert Purvis was incensed, and spoke of his anger to the Philadelphia reformer, Roberts Vaux, a member of the Pennsylvania Abolition Society. Vaux was a recent convert to the Colonization Society, but still retained ties to James Forten.3 At any rate he was willing to help. Vaux wrote to McLane, saying that Robert Purvis was wealthy, lived like a gentleman and was nearly white in complexion. According to Robert Purvis’s later recollection of the case, Andrew Jackson himself heard about the issue, flew into a rage, and ordered McLane to issue a proper passport, saying that no American citizen was to be denied a passport because of color while he was president of these United States. Robert Purvis may therefore have been the first man of color to receive a U.S. passport.4 However, Purvis’s problems were not over yet. He booked passage on a packet on the Cope Line, a shipping firm owned by the Cope brothers, Philadelphia Quakers; they sailed their ships from Philadelphia to Liverpool during this time. A prominent Virginian, Bernard Carter, was planning to sail on the same ship. When Carter heard the story of the passport, and realized that he would be sailing with a colored man, he complained to the Cope brothers. Fearing they would lose much of their profitable Southern trade, the Copes attempted to appease Carter; meanwhile they begged Robert Purvis to give up his ticket. Purvis was at first outraged. To accept the Copes’ appeal went against his principles. He believed this was shameful behavior for a Quaker firm. However, he discovered that he could reach England sooner if he took a ship from New York; he decided to sail on a vessel which landed in Liverpool several days in advance of the Cope packet. He waited in Liverpool, staying probably at the Adelphi Hotel, until the Cope ship arrived. After it had disembarked its passengers, he sought out the captain and learned the name of the man who had objected to sailing with him. The Copes had previously withheld this information. Sooner...

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