Membership certificate to the American Colonization Society
date: label: Date
content: February 22, 1832
name: label: Issued by
content: American Colonization Society, American, 1816 - 1964
label: Received by
content: Sarah Emlen Cresson, American
label: Signed by
content: James Madison, American, 1751 - 1836
label: Signed by
content: Ralph Randolph Gurley, American, 1797 - 1872
label: Signed by
content: Elliott Cresson, American, 1797 - 1854
notes: label: Description
content: A membership certificate to the American Colonization Society for Sarah Emlen Cresson signed by James Madison as the president of the society on February 22, 1832. The certificate has pre-printed text with spaces for filling in the date and member name by hand. At the center top of the certificate is a bundle of dark clouds with a half-circle of sun rays bursting from it. At the center bottom is a seal that shows a ship following a bird across the ocean to Liberia with text in the outer rim reading "LUX IN TENEBRIS / AM: COL: SOC: A.D. 1816." The seal is surrounded by various types of foliage. The certificate is signed in the bottom left corner by "R.R. Gurley, Secretary" and in the bottom right corner by "James Madison Presed't" inside the lined border of the certificate, and in the bottom left corner outside the border "Attest / Elliott Cresson / 1 mo 8. 1834". The reverse is blank.
place: label: Place made
content: Washington, District of Columbia, United States, North and Central America
label: Place depicted
content: Liberia, West Africa, Africa
label: Place used
content: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States, North and Central America
topic: label: Topic
content: African American
label: Topic
content: Emancipation
label: Topic
content: Free communities of color
label: Topic
content: International affairs
label: Topic
content: Race relations
label: Topic
content: U.S. History, 1815-1861
setName: label: See more items in
content: National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection
label: Classification
content: Slavery and Freedom Objects
label: Classification
content: Documents and Manuscripts
label: Movement
content: Colonization movement
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of African American History and Culture
identifier: label: Object number
content: 2010.77.9
objectType: label: Type
content: membership cards
objectRights: label: Restrictions & Rights
content: Public domain
label: Restrictions & Rights
content: Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.
physicalDescription: label: Medium
content: ink on paper
label: Dimensions
content: H x W: 9 x 11 3/8 in. (22.9 x 28.9 cm)