Charlotte Vandine Forten (1785–1884) was an American abolitionist and matriarch of the Philadelphia Forten family.

Biography

Forten née Vandine was born in 1785 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. In 1805 she married James Forten (1766–1842). The couple had many children, the most notable were Harriet Forten Purvis, Margaretta Forten, and Sarah Louisa Forten Purvis often referred to as the "Forten Sisters". Her granddaughter Charlotte Forten Grimké (1837–1914) was a prominent abolitionist and educator.

Charlotte Vandine Forten

Charlotte and her daughters were founders of the Philadelphia Female Anti-Slavery Society (PFASS) in 1833. According to the "Pennsylvania, Philadelphia City Death Certificates, 1803-1915" she died on December 30, 1884, in Philadelphia.

Charlotte Vandine Forten

References

1785 births

1884 deaths

Abolitionists from Pennsylvania

Activists from Philadelphia

African-American abolitionists

African-American history in Philadelphia

Charlotte Vandine Forten