The Philadelphia Negro, moreover, was further impeded in his progress by the presence of southerners who made Philadelphia their home, and still more by the prejudice of those Philadelphia merchants who, sustaining such close relations to the South, hated the Negro and the abolitionists who antagonized their customers.
In spite of these untoward circumstances, however, the Negroes of Philadelphia achieved success.

Negroes who had formerly been able to toil upward were still restricted but they had learned to make opportunities.
In 1832 the Philadelphia blacks had $350,000 of taxable property, $359,626 in 1837 and $400,000 in 1847.

These Negroes had 16 churches and 100 benevolent societies in 1837 and 19 churches and 106 benevolent societies in 1847.

Philadelphia then had more successful Negro schools than any other city in the country.

There were also about 500 Negro mechanics in spite of the opposition of organized labor.[18] Some of these Negroes, of course, were natives of that city.
Chief among those who had accumulated considerable property was Mr.James Forten, the proprietor of one of the leading sail manufactories, constantly employing a large number of men, black and white.