The first Negro churches in the District of Columbia

About this book

In this article from The Journal of Negro History, Cromwell offers a history of the African American churches that arose in and around Washington, D.C. during the early nineteenth century. He begins with the story of churches formed by black members dissatisfied with the treatment they received from white members of their original congregations. As he continues, he lists the important figures in the rise of each church and traces the history of their locations to their sites in 1922, exploring first the background of Protestant churches and then the development of Catholic congregations. In addition, he sketches the internal political turmoil associated with the establishment of these churches in the community.