“All the forces of heaven and earth”: An educational history of Black protestant congregations in northern states, 1787-1885

Though the nineteenth century represents a formative time in the Black population in the Northern States and that both Black Protestant congregations and education were essential to the formation of community and Black nationalism, the role of Protestant Black Congregations in Black education remains understudied. This study explores the history of Black Protestant congregational educational support, practices, and theorization. The study focuses on the voices of Black men and women who innovated education from out of the primary institution of Black people, the Black independent Protestant church, especially the African Methodist Episcopal Church and Black Presbyterian congregations. Their educational work this educational history shows the cultural flow between Black institutions, Black nationalism, and Black efforts at self-education. Further, these educational efforts were undertaken within the white supremacist culture of quasi-freedom often in parallel with white-engineered efforts to educate Black people, especially from the American Colonization Society. Finally, the history shows that these congregations were highly sensitive to the educational fragility for Black people in this period and that Black education, as opposed to the white-engineered efforts at the education of Black people, was a practice of vicarious emancipation: they were educating the few for the sake of the many, especially those who were held within the system of slavery. This study extends scholarship on nineteenth century Black education, the numerous forms of Black nationalism, and the important role of Black women educators.

Name thesis:degree_name

Ph.D.

Level thesis:degree_level

Dissertation

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Educ Policy, Orgzn & Leadrshp

Grantor

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Year dc:date

2025

Author dc:creator

• Bridges, Matthew M

Contributors dc:contributor

• Moton, Theopolies
• Hale, Jon N.
• Williams, Alexia
• Span, Christopher
• Baumgartner, Kabria

• Nineteenth Century
• Education
• Black Education
• Black Protestant
• Congregations

Statement dc:rights

• Copyright 2025 Matthew Bridges

Language dc:language

en, eng

Handle dc:identifier

https://hdl.handle.net/2142/129770

OAI record oai:identifier

https://www.ideals.illinois.edu/oai-pmh?verb=GetRecord&metadataPrefix=etdms&identifier=oai%3Awww.ideals.illinois.edu%3A2142%2F129770