Frank McWorter Founded New Philadelphia

Frank McWorter, born enslaved in South Carolina in 1777, earned money by hiring out his labor and mining saltpeter. He bought his pregnant wife Lucy's freedom before purchasing his own in 1819. In 1835, he paid $100 for 80 acres in Illinois and used 42 acres to establish New Philadelphia, the first U.S. town platted and registered by an African American. Income from farming and selling its 144 lots helped him secure freedom for 16 relatives, including himself, at a combined cost of $14,000.

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