James Forten was an African-American abolitionist

Abolitionism

Abolitionism is a movement to end slavery.In western Europe and the Americas abolitionism was a movement to end the slave trade and set slaves free. At the behest of Dominican priest Bartolomé de las Casas who was shocked at the treatment of natives in the New World, Spain enacted the first...

 and wealthy businessman. He worked at many jobs, including dentist, carpenter, pastor and minuteman.
James Forten was born in Philadelphia, spending almost all of his life in what would become the Society Hill neighborhood.
Although never elected to political office, and effectively disfranchised, James Forten was a shrewd political operator.