Slavery and Christianity

Which Churches Would Slaves Join?

Which churches would allow slaves to join?

Laws and instructions “Christian servants” and “Negro servants.”African potential

The situation by 1700“Boundary” laws, 1667 and later

The Eighteenth CenturyThe slave trade, 1670-1775

Virginia: nearly 100,000

Americanization the norm by the 1780s“African Americans”

NUMBER OF SLAVES ARRIVING IN CHESAPEAKE NAVAL DISTRICTSNaval District

York Rappa- South Upper Lower District Maryland Totalhannock Potomac James James Unknown

1698-1703 1,620 45 21 15 ? 181 2,630 4,512 1704-1718 4,370 927 174 166 743 4,915 2,315 13,610 1719-1730 11,011 2,785 197 183 1,291 2,152 17,619 1731-1745 11,727 3,212 1,169 3,405 2,433 640 2,673 25,259 1746-1760 4,283 1,279 480 5,764 1,302 2,123 3,235 18,466 1761-1774 281 2,412 214 6,732 1,110 883 5,311 16,943 1698-1774 33,292 10,660 2,058 16,279 5,771 10,033 18,316 96,409 Source: Lorena S. Walsh, "The Chesapeake Slave Trade: Regional Patterns, African Origins, and Some Implications," William and Mary Quarterly, 58 (Jan. 2001), 168-69.Note: Not all records of importation have survived, especially for Maryland. Virginia buyers often went to Maryland to buy slaves.

Volume of African Arrivals in the Americas by Region of Arrival (in thousands)British Mainland British British Windwards Jamaica Barbados Guianas French St. Domingue

Date North America Leewards and Trinidad Windwards (Haiti)1519-16001601-1650 1,400 1,000 200 25,400 2,000 1651-1675 900 5,600 22,300 63,200 8,200 6,500 1676-1700 9,800 26,600 73,500 82,300 27,800 16,600 4,800 1701-1725 37,400 35,400 600 139,100 91,800 24,400 30,100 44,500 1726-1750 96,800 81,700 300 186,500 73,600 83,600 66,800 144,900 1751-1775 116,900 123,900 120,000 270,150 120,900 111,900 63,700 247,500 1776-1800 24,400 25,300 197,500 312,600 28,500 71,200 41,200 345,800 1801-1825 73,200 5,300 4,300 70,200 7,600 71,800 58,800 1826-1850 500 2,100 900 4,800 19,500 1851-1867 300 400 All years 361,100 304,800 323,400 1,076,850 431,000 458,700 306,900 794,000 Share 3.8% 3.2% 3.4% 11.2% 4.5% 4.8% 3.2% 8.3%of trade

Spanish American Spanish Dutch Northeast Bahia Southeast Other Africa AllMainland Caribbean Caribbean Brazil Brazil Americas Regions

1519-1600 151,600 3,500 1,500 201,600 1601-1650 187,700 2,000 86,300 60,000 30,000 396,000 1651-1675 38,800 15,600 15,600 15,600 600 192,800 1676-1700 700 26,000 30,200 75,900 30,200 11,000 421,700 1701-1725 30,000 2,100 30,500 24,300 199,600 122,000 14,200 825,800 1726-1750 12,700 1,600 10,200 51,400 104,600 213,900 8,300 1,136,900 1751-1775 500 1,300 15,300 126,900 94,400 210,400 13,800 1,654,000 1776-1800 10,200 56,900 6,900 210,800 112,500 247,200 44,100 400 1,735,400 1801-1825 17,500 268,700 214,800 182,000 408,700 14,800 22,400 1,458,600 1826-1850 8,700 297,000 80,000 146,500 736,400 10,500 91,300 1,398,200 1851-1867 152,600 900 1,900 3,400 1,300 16,800 177,900 All years 419,600 780,200 129,700 844,700 994,500 2,017,800 118,600 130,900 9,598,900 Share 4.4% 8.1% 1.4% 8.8% 10.4% 21.0% 1.2% 1.4%of tradeSource: The Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade: A Database on CD-ROM and William and Mary Quarterly , 58 (Jan. 2001), 45: Table III

Which churches accepted black members?

Virginia?A mixed recordThe Rev. Samuel Davies

Which churches accepted black members?

George Whitefield?The Great AwakeningNew Lights, Old Lights

Which churches accepted black members?

Opposition to the New Lights?Arthur LeeLandon Carter

Enslaved Africans and African Americans and

ChristianityNew Light slaves

The thorny problem

1772Virginia Gazette advertisements

Enslaved Africans and African Americans and

ChristianityAfrican-American self development: the wave of the future?

Frying Pan Meeting House,

Fairfax, 1791

Frying Pan Meeting House,

Fairfax, 1791

Norfolk people groom their hair, 1797—for church? (B. H. Latrobe)

Ethical slavesPossible?

At the end of the 1700sA transatlantic antislavery movement in the making

Slavery and Christianity

Did American Slavery Enslave Christianity?

Christianity and Enslaved Africans and African

Americans

African-American self development: the wave of the future?

The situation in 1800Limited African-American social and political progress allowedGrowth in African-American Christianity, especially NorthernMinimal reason for hope

Would a hopeful religion help?

Absalom Jones, Co-founder, Free African

Society (1787), and A.M.E Church (1816)

What did slave owners want enslaved Christians

to be?Accepting of slavery“civilized”

“savage” = irredeemable

SectarianE.g. Methodist, Baptist, etc.

What did slave owners want enslaved Christians

to be?DocileReligiously supervised

Rev. Jones: Presbyterian

Slaves’ service; master’s supervision

What did slave owners want enslaved Christians

to be?Part of an organic, interconnected societyProblem: blending of religion and church with slave controlSolution: not in this world

Unusual circumstances; good intentions: The Lord’s Prayer in Arabic, by Abduhl al-Rahman

What did enslaved Christians want to be?

Redeemed Freed in heaven if not on earth

“Free at last”Free from slaveryFree from sinFree from this world

Members of a loving slave communityJudges of their owners

What did enslaved Christians want to be?

Members of their own church community

Possible in NorthA.M.E. Church

Possible in South“Invisible Church?”

Enslaved Adult* Church Membership, U.S., 1860Total enslaved Percent

Black Members population enslavedMethodist Episcopal Baptist Other All churches 15 and older population

215,000 7,000 157,000 48,000 427,000 2,156,096 19.80%

* This assumes almost all enslaved church members were adults.

Sources: Olli Ahlo, The Religion of the Slaves , 51, 58; U.S. South enslaved population:

http://fisher.lib.virginia.edu/collections/stats/histcensus/index.html

Other optionsLott Cary, Liberia

Other options

Other optionsEthical and independent in another way

First African Baptist Church, Richmond

First African Baptist Church, Broad Street, Richmond

First African Baptist Church, Broad Street, Richmond

Other optionsThe “Invisible Church”: a solution?

What can we know?Burials: Secret burial and other societies, especially urban

Slave Funeral (John Antrobus, Louisiana, 1860)

What did enslaved Christians want to be?

Can a slave be ethical?Frederick Douglass’s ethical vantage point

What did enslaved Christians want to be?

Can a slave be ethical?Hannah’s approach, Poplar Forest, 1818

November 15th 1818Master. I write you a few lines to let you know that your house and furniture are all safe as I expect you would be glad to know. I heard that you did not expect to come up this fall. I was sorry to hear that you was so unwell you could not come. It greive me many time but I hope as you have been so blessed in this that you considered it was god that done it and no other one. We all ought to be thankful for what he has done for us. We ought to serve and obey his commandments that you may set to win the prize and after glory run. Master I doubt my ignorant letter will be much encouragement to you as know I am a poor ignorant creature. This leaves us all well. Adieu, I am your humble sarvent Hannah

What did enslaved Christians want to be?

Can a slave be ethical?Gabriel, Ben, and Pharoah, 1800Nat Turner and others, 1831

What did enslaved Christians want to be?

Family and religion

Delia Garlic, Powhatan Co., Virginia

What did enslaved Christians want to be?

Desperate, but redeemed

Anthony Burns, 1854

What did enslaved Christians want to be?

In retrospect: Proceedings of the Convention of the Colored People of Virginia (Alexandria, 1865): We were docile in slavery, cursed though it was. We were not vengeful. “In all this we confess we see the hand of an all-wise God, who has seen fit to hold the passions of His African children until He saw fit to stir the passions of the two sections of the country—that both North and South should suffer for the sin of slavery.”

Other issues: Slavery and the Bible

Did the Bible allow or uphold slavery?

Massachusetts Historical Society

Massachusetts Historical Society

Did American Slavery Enslave Christianity?

It did, to the extent that many American Christians used their religion to control slaves and keep slavery.It did not, to the extent that enslaved people relied on Christianity to help them persevere, to be redeemed, and even to be freed.

Did American Slavery Enslave Christianity?

It did, to the extent that mainline churches refused to stand against slavery.It did not, to the extent that individual Christians, both North and South, stood against slavery.It did, to the extent that Christians, in the North and South, stood for slavery.

Did American Slavery Enslave Christianity?

Christianity was half slave and half free.

Other issues: Union victories, Union victory

“Negro Communed At St. Paul’s Church,” Richmond Times-Dispatch, April 16, 1905, p. 5. "Colonel T. L. Broun, of Charleston, W. Va., is in the city stopping on Floyd Avenue. He was present at St. Paul’s Church just after the war, when a negro marched to the communion table ahead of the congregation. Colonel Broun, in speaking of the matter on yesterday, said: 'Two months after the evacuation of Richmond, business called me to Richmond for a few days, and on Sunday morning in June, 1866 [sic], I attended St. Paul’s Church. Dr. Minnegerode [sic] preached to a congregation fairly good. It was communion day. When the minister was ready to administer the Holy Communion, amongst those who first arose and advanced to the communion table was a tall, well dressed negro man; very black. He walked with an air of military authority. This was a great surprise and shock to the communicants and others present, who frequented that most noted of the Episcopal Churches in Virginia. Its effect upon the communicants was startling, and for several moments they retained their seats in solemn silence, and did not move, being deeply chagrined at this attempt of the Federal authorities, to offensively humiliate them during their most devoted Church services. Dr. Minnegerode looked embarrassed.

General Robert E. Lee was present, and he, ignoring the action and very presence of the negro, immediately arose, in his usual dignified and self-possessed manner, walked up the aisle of the church to the chancel rail, and reverently knelt down to partake of the communion, and not far from where the negro was. This lofty conception of duty by General Lee under such provoking and irritating circumstances, had a magic effect upon the other communicants, who immediately went forward to the communion table. I, being one of the number, did likewise.

By this action of Gen. Lee, the services were concluded, as if the negro had not been present. It was a grand exhibition of superiority shown by a true Christian and great soldier under the most trying offensive circumstances.'"

“Negro Communed At St. Paul’s Church,” Confederate Veteran, 13 (August 1905): 360. “Col. T. L. Broun, of Charleston, W. Va., writes of having been present at St. Paul’s Church, Richmond, Va., just after the war when a negro marched to the communion table ahead of the congregation. His account of the event is as follows: ‘Two months after the evacuation of Richmond business called me to Richmond for a few days, and on a Sunday morning in June, 1865, I attended St. Paul’s Church. Dr. Minnegerode preached. It was communion day; and when the minister was ready to administer the holy communion, a negro in the church arose and advanced to the communion table. He was tall, well-dressed, and black. This was a great surprise and shock to the communicants and others present. Its effect upon the communicants was startling, and for several moments they retained their seats in solemn silence and did not move, being deeply chagrined at this attempt to inaugurate the ‘new regime’ to offend and humiliate them during their most devoted Church services. Dr. Minnegerode was evidently embarrassed.

General Robert E. Lee was present, and, ignoring the action and presence of the negro, arose in his usual dignified and self-possessed manner, walked up the aisle to the chancel rail, and reverently knelt down to partake of the communion, and not far from the negro. This lofty conception of duty by Gen. Lee under such provoking and irritating circumstances had a magic effect upon the other communicants (including the writer), who went forward to the communion table.

By this action of Gen. Lee the services were conducted as if the negro had not been present. It was a grand exhibition of superiority shown by a true Christian and great soldier under the most trying and offensive circumstances.”

“The Last Roll: Maj. Thomas L. Broun,” Confederate Veteran, 22 (July 1914): 324-25. Born December 26, 1823, Middleburg, Loudoun County, Virginia. Died march 3, 1914, Charleston, West Virginia. Married Mary Morris Fontaine, daughter of Col. Edmund Fontaine, of Hanover County, the “first president of the Chesapeake and Ohio railroad.” Grandfather William Broun emigrated from Scotland and practiced law in Westmoreland County in colonial period. After study at Dickinson College in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, Broun was graduated from the University of Virginia in 1848. He taught school in Middleburg, then moved to Charleston to study law. Attorney for railroads and coal transporting companies. He served in military and support capacities during the civil war. “It was from Major Broun that General Lee obtained his famous war horse Traveler.” Considered one of the leading members of the bar in West Virginia. He was a director of the West Virginia Historical Society. “He was for more than forty years a Vestryman of St. John’s Episcopal Church, of Charleston, W. Va., and prominent in diocesan affairs.” “Major Broun was a profound student of history, especially of southern history . . . .”

Frederick Douglass on the Richmond Slave Jails

Douglass speech, Halifax, Eng., December 7, 1859: “Slave marts and churches stood in the same market place. The groans of the slaves being sold in the shambles of Richmond were sometimes drowned by the pious shouting of their masters in the church close by.” Frederick Douglass Papers, Ser. 1, vol. 3 (1864-1880), 284.