The qualifications for membership were republicanism, patriotism, abolitionism, and morality. The society held its annual meetings at Lost Creek Meeting House. Its work consisted in memorializing legislatures and congresses, protecting runaway negroes, fostering the spirit of manumission, addressing the churches on slaveholding and opposing the domestic and foreign slave trade.[12]
The society repeatedly memorialized Congress on the subject of slavery. These memorials prayed the abolition of slavery in the District of Columbia, the prohibition of the interstate slave trade and separation of families, the proscription of slavery in the territories, and finally the abolition of slavery in the United States.[13] These petitions were presented by Tennessee congressmen, and referred to the judiciary committee, which never reported on them.[14]
In 1821, the society petitioned the state legislature to grant easier terms for manumission, to establish a plan of gradual emancipation, to urge upon those owning slaves to teach them the Scriptures, and to prohibit “the inhuman practice of separating husbands and wives, within the limits of this state.”[15]
The legislative committee to which this memorial was referred dealt with it frankly. It advocated easier terms for manumission, but desired to restrict them to the emancipation of the young, healthy slave in order to prevent avaricious masters from freeing the aged slaves who would become a charge to society. It believed that the state should devise a policy for freeing the slaves unborn, and recommended the passing of a law, prohibiting the separation of husband and wife. The committee reported unanimously, but the senate laid its report on the table.[16]
James Jones, president of the society, stated at its eighth annual meeting that the objects of the society should be: First, to obtain the support of the people to the abolition propaganda because the people rule; second, to establish as many branches as possible to obtain this end; third, to recommend to all friends of humanity to use their suffrage to place men in the legislature who would support gradual emancipation.[17]
At the tenth annual meeting of the society, a memorial was addressed to the churches of Tennessee which showed the inconsistency of religion and slavery and bitterly arraigned society for the crime of slavery. This criticism of the church, society, and government in this petition was the strongest condemnation of slavery made by the society during its existence.[18]
The minutes of the eleventh annual meeting in 1825 show that the society was still active. There were at this time twenty-two branches, eleven of which reported a membership of 570.[19] This meeting was well attended and appointed a committee, consisting of James Jones, Thomas Hodge, Jr., and Thomas Doane to begin the publication of a quarterly journal to be called the manumission journal. Thomas Hodge, Jr. was made editor of the journal, which was to be published at Greenville, Tennessee. The society drafted memorials to Congress and to the churches of the United States, and appointed James Lundy as delegate to the Annual Convention of the American Abolition Societies in Philadelphia.[20]
Interest in the society seems to have begun to wane after 1825. The convention in 1826 was not well attended. Only ten branches were represented at this meeting.[21] The state was beginning to be alarmed at the increased number of free negroes resulting from emancipation and immigration.
The thirteenth meeting in 1827 was a rather important one. It sent the usual memorials to Congress, legislature of Tennessee, and to the churches of the country.[22] It made expulsion a penalty for aiding slaves to escape. The branch organizations were to try those accused of misconduct. This regulation indicates pernicious activities on the part of some members of the society.