In 1815, at his own expense, he transported
thirty-eight blacks back to Africa. This was one of the first
attempts at African colonization. Apparently the costs and other
problems surrounding the project were so great that he never
pursued it further.
As it became increasingly apparent that the end of slavery would
not mean the end of discrimination, cooperative action by
Afro-Americans seemed to be the only basis from which to gain
acceptance, and in 1775 the African Lodge No. 459, the first
Afro-American Masonic lodge in America, was founded. Prince Hall, its
founder, was born in Barbados and came to America with the
idea of identifying himself with Afro-Americans. He became a
minister in the Methodist Church, where he dedicated himself to
their advancement. However, he concluded that only through
working together through black cooperation, could any progress be made.
After being refused recognition by the American masons,
his lodge was legitimized by a branch of the British Masons
connected with army stationed in Boston. Before long African
lodges as well as other fraternal organizations sprang up all
across the country.
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