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AchievementJuly 6, 1853· politics

Colored National Convention in Rochester Demands Full Citizenship

The Colored National Convention met in Rochester, New York, with Frederick Douglass presiding. Delegates drafted 'An Address to the People of the United States' demanding voting rights, jury service, equal schools, and repeal of the Fugitive Slave Act. The convention called for a Black manual labor school and national council — a forerunner of later civil rights organizations.