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A Day in the Life of aColonial Sailmaker |
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ISBN: 0-8239-6231-8 By Laurie Krebs - PowerKids Press The Rosen Group, New York, NY (August 2003) Book Description: In 1798, James Forten of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania became the owner of Robert Bridge's sail loft. In those days, it was unusual for a free black man to own a business. |
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| James had served as a powder boy on an American ship during the Revolution. His ship was captured by the British and he was taken prisoner. | ||||||||||||||
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| After the war, in 1784, James became an apprentice to Mr. Robert Bridges. He was bright and hard working. Mr. Bridges soon made him the loft foreman. | ||||||||||||||
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| James Forten became one of Philadelphia's richest businessmen, respected and honored by his community. Much of his wealth was used to improve the lives of black Americans. | ||||||||||||||
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