The Petersburg Benevolent Mechanics' Association (PBMA) was founded on 4 January 1825 by a group of mechanics “for a closer union, for mental improvement, for the promotion of mechanical arts and sciences and for benevolent and charitable purposes.” PBMA members worked in a vibrant, burgeoning economy; by 1830, Petersburg, Virginia, was a wealthy, diverse manufacturing town, with a population of 3,440 whites, 2,032 free blacks, and 2,850 slaves. It was the fourth largest city in Virginia and one of the larger towns south of the Mason-Dixon line.