Social reformer Frederick Douglass assisted in organizing the group, which held its first meeting at the Mother African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church on June 13, 1850.
In addition to union activities, the league was also envisioned to serve as a benefit society for black tradespeople and entrepreneurs, and to this effect, its leaders planned to establish a mutual savings bank and hold an industrial fair.
[3] On June 13, 1850,[7] in response to the difficulties faced by African Americans in joining existing labor unions and as part of a wave of efforts towards black economic self-sufficiency and cooperation,[8][9] several noted social reformers and black activists met at the Mother African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church at the intersection of Leonard Street and Church Street to establish the American League of Colored Laborers (ALCL).
[11] Douglass's involvement with the organization, as well as the participation of several editors from African American newspapers, helped the union to garner fairly widespread coverage in the black press.
[1][19][23] Douglass and Ward also envisioned that the league would eventually serve as a loan-giving organization for African American entrepreneurs,[8] and starting with their initial meeting, the union announced plans to establish funds to provide money for people trying to open their own businesses.
[7][25] Multiple reasons have been given for the league's downfall, with many historians noting that one of the largest issues facing the union was the small number of black artisans working in cities at the time.
[26][27] Multiple historians have noted that the league's demise could be viewed as indicative of a growing class divide between the workers and the social reformers in the African American community during this time.