people of color

[GEORGE THOMPSON]

        The earliest appearance in my notes from NYC newspapers of the
phrase "people of color" is from 1815, but I have done little reading
in the papers before that year.  I hardly need say that the editors
of these newspapers were all of northern European ancestry, and they
certainly wrote as if this were also true of all or nearly all of
their subscribers.

GAT

1815:   An act for disenfranchising people of color in the city of
New-York. -- [supposes that the act is motivated by the fact that
they are mostly federalists]
        New-York Evening Post, April 3, 1815, p. 2, col. 2

1815:   A general meeting of the People of Colour of this city [regarding voting
rights, and citing their patriotic service in civil defence during
the war]
        New-York Gazette and General Advertiser, April 19, 1815, p. 2,
col. 1

1816:   I observed a number of people of colour in Mr. Riley's Printing
house; and from the landlord, I learned that a "number of young
Ladies and Gentlemen walked every Sunday from New-York to try to
teach the Negroes to read!"
        Commercial Advertiser, July 9, 1816, p. 2, col. 1