George James Adams (February 17, 1811 – January 17, 1888) was an American textile manufacturer and agent, as well as a copper mine operator, from Rhode Island.
He purchased the freedom of Bethany Veney and her son, Joe, in 1858, and moved them north from Virginia to Providence, Rhode Island.
[2] His mother, born Sarah (Sally) M. W. Waldron, was married to Captain Adams in Bristol, Rhode Island in 1808.
[5][6][7] In Virginia, he employed Bethany Veney, an African American enslaved woman, who was owned by David McCoy who needed to sell property to cover his gambling debts.
After consulting with his wife and her sister Sarah, Adams purchased her and her son Joe on December 27, 1858, for $775 (equivalent to $27,292 in 2023) and freed them.
[2][10] Around 1865, Adams purchased the house at 10 Cushing Street in the College Hill Historic District in Providence.