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Contribution #91 of 365
James Forten
Sail Manufacturer and Leading American Entrepreneur
1798
The contribution
How this work helped shape America
Sailmaker James Forten took control of a Philadelphia sail loft in 1798 and developed it into one of the city's most successful sailmaking enterprises, employing Black and white workers. His business success made him one of the wealthiest Black Americans of the early 1800s and financed extensive civic and antislavery work.