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Nineteenth-Century Philadelphia Caterer Thomas J. Dorsey.
- Article from:
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American Visions
- Article date:
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August 1, 2000
- Author:
- Conrad, Sharron Wilkins
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Copyright informationCOPYRIGHT 2000 Heritage Information Holdings, Inc. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Perhaps no other city in post-colonial America afforded African Americans as much social, economic and political opportunity as did Philadelphia. In the 50 years following the American Revolution, the city became home to the largest concentration of free blacks in the North. But as the 19th century wore on, it became obvious that white citizens of the City of Brotherly Love would accept African Americans only on certain terms. In the economic sphere, the city's growing immigrant population forced blacks out of the skilled professions and likewise hindered their chances at employment in the emerging industrial economy. Many African Americans adjusted to the contraction of their ...