Answer:
James Forten was a powerful African-American businessman and activist who used his influence to fight slavery in pre-civil war in Philadelphia.
He later became an apprentice to a sail marker and in 1798 gained ownership of the business.
Thus, his most important obstacle was petitioning the U.S. Congress to modify the 1793 Fugitive Slave Law, which stated a slave owner had the right to to cross state lines and take back a runaway slave.
He then published a pamphlet titled, "A Series of Letters by a Man of Colour" to oppose a Pennsylvania Senate Bill that would restrict African American emigration. He also generously funded fellow abolitionist William Lloyd Garrison's paper, "The Liberator", which publicly spoke against injustice and inhuman of slavery.
In conclusion, Forten ran a business without any slavery interaction, an extremely bold and progressive move. He refused to sell supplies to any ships that were involved or suspected to be involved with the slave trade. Forten proved that a business could still thrive without any involvement with slavery.
Explanation:
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