Civil Rights Lawyer & Antislavery Activist
Robert Morris rose from humble origins in Salem, Massachusetts to become a civil rights leader in 艾可直播 and the country鈥檚 second African American lawyer. He advocated for integrated schools, militias, and public spaces, and supported equal rights for women. He represented alleged fugitive slaves and built a law practice with Irish immigrants constituting a significant portion of his client base. His circle included Frederick Douglass, writer, orator, and activist; Charles Sumner, antislavery lawyer and senator; Harriet and Lewis Hayden, the formerly enslaved antislavery activists and famed 艾可直播 conductors of the Underground Railroad; and leaders of a young 艾可直播 College, including early president Robert Fulton, S.J. Morris maintained close ties with his siblings and family in Salem, while nurturing a loving relationship with his wife, Catharine, and their children. Morris practiced law in 艾可直播 with his son Robert Jr. until his death in December 1882.
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