Société des Amis des Noirs
Contributions
Members
- Achille-François de Lascaris d'Urfé, marquis du Chastellet military
- Carl-Bernhard Wadström abolitionist traveller writer
- Charles-Maurice de Talleyrand-Périgord cleric diplomat entrepreneur politician writer
- Charles-Michel Trudaine de la Sablière translator
- Constantin-François de Chasseboeuf, comte de Volney freemason historian journalist philosopher politician professor
- Emmanuel-Joseph Sieyès cleric freemason philosopher politician
- Etienne Clavière abolitionist entrepreneur journalist politician
- François-Joseph-Michel Noël civil servant cleric diplomat journalist professor spy translator writer
- François-Xavier Lanthenas abolitionist civil servant physician politician translator writer
- Gaspard-Joseph Cuchet bookseller editor publisher
- Gilbert du Motier, marquis de La Fayette freemason military politician
- Hector Saint John de Crèvecœur diplomat military translator writer
- Henri Agasse publisher
- Henri Grégoire civil servant cleric politician writer
- Honoré-Gabriel Riqueti, comte de Mirabeau abolitionist freemason pamphleteer politician translator writer
- Jacques-Pierre Brissot de Warville abolitionist bookseller entrepreneur freemason pamphleteer politician publisher translator writer
- Jean-Antoine Gallois civil servant freemason poet politician translator
- Jean-Antoine Roucher freemason poet translator
- Jean-Etienne Gramagnac abolitionist physician translator
- Jean Henri Bancal des Issarts freemason jurist politician
- Jean-Louis Carra freemason journalist librarian pamphleteer politician revolutionary teacher writer
- Jean-Yrieix de Beaupoil, marquis de Saint-Aulaire military writer
- Jerome Pétion politician writer
- Louis-Alexandre, duc de La Rochefoucauld d'Enville politician scientist translator
- Louis-Sébastien Mercier novelist pamphleteer playwright politician translator writer
- Nicolas de Caritat, marquis de Condorcet abolitionist journalist philosopher politician scientist translator writer
- Pierre-Bernard de Lamare civil servant translator
- Pierre-Étienne-Louis Dumont cleric journalist translator writer
- Robert Pigott civil servant writer
- Scipione Piattoli abolitionist cleric freemason politician professor writer
- Sophie de Grouchy, marquise de Condorcet salonnière translator writer
- Thomas Clarkson abolitionist writer
Notes
Jacques Brissot founded the Society of the Friends of Blacks in February 1788 to agitate against the slave trade and slavery. He modeled it on the London Committee for the Abolition of the Slave Trade, established in 1787. He hoped that the two groups might cooperate in an international effort to eliminate the slave trade. The French society, under Condorcet's cautious leadership, knowing that the colonial and commercial interests invested in slavery still exercised great power, cautiously advanced its proposals. This caution was well–founded, since some deputies faced personal attacks in the streets of Paris for their unpopular views.
As the roster shows, its membership included leading intellectuals, politicians, functionaries and many aristocrats. The marquis de Condorcet was its president and M. de Gramagnac its secretary. It remained active until 1793, when it had over 140 members.
A membership list from 1789, 'Tableau des Membres de la Société des Amis des Noirs' can be found at https://revolution.chnm.org/d/339. It includes three of the Lameth brothers, two publishers, Agasse and Cuchet, one Englishman, "Pigot, Geneva" (Charles Pigott's brother, Robert) and one associated foreigner, Piattoli. While Jefferson could not attend for obvious political reasons, his secretary, William Short, was a member. The most comprehensive online resource, including records of all meeting between 1788–90, can be found on https://www.unicaen.fr/mazarine/san/accueil.html.
See also Jean-Pierre Brissot's 'Memoirs', ed. Claude Perroud (1910), ii: 74ff & 86 (fn) & Claude Perroud, 'La Société Française des Amis des Noirs', in La Révolution Française, no.69 (1916), pp.122-47.