The Struggle for Justice James Forten is considered one of the most prominent African-American abolitionists in the history of United States. His life and his successful business showed that African Americans are an integral part of the American society, and they can be beneficial for the country. James Forten devoted his life to struggle with racial injustice in United States. His dream was to achieve the national abolition of slavery in the country. Letters from a Man of Colour was his famous pamphlet that played a predominant role in gaining civil rights for African Americans. For the reason that Letters from a Man of Colour is considered both a literary masterpiece and a pamphlet of protest against racial injustice in the United States, it is necessary to describe James Forten’s biography and analyze this pamphlet in order to understand how Letters from a Man of Colour impacted African American people. …show more content…
James Forten was born on the 2nd September 1766 in Philadelphia (Finkelman 36). His parents were free African Americans, and he inherited the status of a free man from them. James Forten attended the Quaker school of famous abolitionist Anthony Benezet (Finkelman 36). When James Forten was ten years old, his father died, and the little boy was forced to end his education and find a job in order to earn money for his family (Finkelman 36). During the Revolutionary War, Forten joined the crew of Royal Louis as a powder boy (Finkelman 37). However, this ship was captured by the British army, and Forten spent several months on the British prison ship. Living conditions in this prison were awful, and many prisoners were dying every day. James Forten survived and was released from the prison because he promised not to participate in the war (McCarthy