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Milton C. Sernett is Professor of African-American studies at Syracuse University.

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This unique collection of more than 50 documents -- many of them rare, out of print, not easily accessible -- covers Afro American religious history from Africa into early America through Reconstruction and into the rise of black nationalism, civil rights and black theology of today
 
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PendleHillLibrary | 1 andere bespreking | May 9, 2023 |
 
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revbill1961 | 1 andere bespreking | May 3, 2023 |
This book was of interest to me because of the link between persons and events in my home town of Westernville, NY to the abolitionist movement in central New York in the 1820's and 1830's. When researching the history of the local Presbyterian church I encountered two notable figures whose influence had a great deal to do with the rise of rabid anti-slavery sentiment extant in the area. Rev. George Washington Gale ministered in the local church. Gale was friends (actually a mentor) with Rev. Charles Grandison Finney, the noted evangelist whose revivalism sparked the Second Great Awakening throughout the region identified as the "burned-over district", the swath from the eastern Mohawk Valley to western New York. Finney began his campaign here and he mentions his work in the town of Western in his memoirs. The author posits that, while not directly connected with the abolitionists, Finney's message of "perfectionism" against sinfulness had profound influence on the fervent religious beliefs underlying the passion of abolitionists. Gale's theology did not closely align with Finney's, but he was prominent among those who opposed slavery on moral grounds. Gale was a founder of the Oneida Institute, an educational academy in nearby Whitesboro. The Oneida Institute was religion-based noted for its involvement in the "manual labor" movement where students performed labor to support the institute. The institute was a pioneer in admitting blacks along with whites and was a training ground for young me who wanted to follow in Finney's footsteps. Gale handed off leadership of the institute to Beriah Green, a radical "immediatist" who advocated for the belief and message of "moral suasion" that held that the immediate and unconditional abolition of slavery was the only moral course to be followed. Green became prominent in the evolution of abolitionism, including as a founder of the American Anti-Slavery Society and, later, the Liberty Party that put forth candidates for political office on an abolitionist platform. Green was close to the noted Gerrit Smith of Peterboro, NY, the wealthy backer of abolitionism throughout the era. Smith ran for president on the Liberty Party ticket and later was closely associated with John Brown's plans for Harper's Ferry.

Gale left the area in 1834 to relocate to Illinois where he became a founder of Knox College and the town of Galesburg. Finney, after his itinerant days concluded, was a founder of Oberlin College in Ohio.
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stevesmits | Jun 25, 2019 |
My interest in this book stems from exploring the ties of Rev. George Washington Gale and Rev. Charles Grandison Finney to the founding of tbe Oneida Institute. Gale is little remembered today, but he was a pastor of the Presbyterian church in Westernville, NY, my home town. Gale was friends with the well-known evangelist Finney and invited Finney to preach in the village, perhaps the beginning of Finney's revivalist campaign that created the "burned-over district." What fascinates is why Gale was motivated to start this institute, and how this relates to his support for the abilitionist movement so fervant in central New York. Gale is thought to have been committed to training young men to go forth in the Finney style of the Second Great Awakening revivals of the 1820's and 1830's. Gale makes only brief mention of the Institute in his memoir that stops abruptly in 1834. (Gale and other notables from Oneida County moved at about this time to Illinois where they founded Knox College.) The institute was one of the "manual labor" academies that were emerging and was notable, too, for admitting blacks and whites to study together.

The book focuses on Beriah Green, a radical abolitionist who became president upon Gale's departure (Gale self-initiated his departure). Green is also not well-remembered, but he was one of the most demanding and uncompromising abilitionists of the era. (It was interesting to learn of the rift between the so-called "immediatists" and the "colonizationists".) The history also reminds us that even among the many who supported emancipation, there was often no sympathy for admitting blacks to the social and political privileges of whites. Green saw this discrimination as deeply wrong, perhaps making him among the most prescient thinkers of the time.

As time went on, Green's bitterness over the failure of democratic institutions to address emancipation led to his forming anti-democratic views in which he advocated for governance by a "wise" theocratic leader. Green was allied for years with Gerrit Smith, but as years went on he became alienated from him.
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stevesmits | Feb 15, 2019 |

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8
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257
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#89,245
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4.1
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5
ISBNs
18

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