Latest news with #JenniferCromack
Yomiuri Shimbun
3 hours ago
- Politics
- Yomiuri Shimbun
A Volunteer Finds the Holy Grail of Abolitionist-Era Baptist Documents in Massachusetts
GROTON, Mass. (AP) — Jennifer Cromack was combing through the American Baptist archive when she uncovered a slim box among some 18th and 19th century journals. Opening it, she found a scroll in pristine condition. A closer look revealed the 5-foot-long (1.5-meter-long) document was a handwritten declaration titled 'A Resolution and Protest Against Slavery,' signed by 116 New England ministers in Boston and adopted March 2, 1847. Until its discovery in May at the archives in Groton, Massachusetts, American Baptist officials worried the anti-slavery document had been lost forever after fruitless searches at Harvard and Brown universities and other locations. A copy was last seen in a 1902 history book. 'I was just amazed and excited,' Cromack, a retired teacher who volunteers at the archive, said. 'We made a find that really says something to the people of the state and the people in the country. … It speaks of their commitment to keeping people safe and out of situations that they should not be in.' The document offers a glimpse into an emerging debate over slavery in the 19th century in the Northeast. The document was signed 14 years before the start of the Civil War as a growing number of religious leaders were starting to speak out against slavery. Split over slavery The document also shines a spotlight on a critical moment in the history of the Baptist church. It was signed two years after the issue of slavery prompted southern Baptists to split from northern Baptists and form the Southern Baptist Convention, the nation's largest Protestant denomination. The split in 1845 followed a ruling by the American Baptist Foreign Mission Society prohibiting slave owners from becoming missionaries. The northern Baptists eventually became American Baptist Churches USA. 'It comes from such a critical era in American history, you know, right prior to the Civil War,' said the Rev. Mary Day Hamel, the executive minister of the American Baptist Churches of Massachusetts. 'It was a unique moment in history when Baptists in Massachusetts stepped up and took a strong position and stood for justice in the shaping of this country,' she said. 'That's become part of our heritage to this day, to be people who stand for justice, for American Baptists to embrace diversity.' A risky declaration Deborah Bingham Van Broekhoven, the executive director emerita of the American Baptist Historical Society, said many Americans at the time, especially in the North, were 'undecided' about slavery and weren't sure how to respond or were worried about speaking out. 'They thought it was a southern problem, and they had no business getting involved in what they saw as the state's rights,' Van Broekhoven said. 'Most Baptists, prior to this, would have refrained from this kind of protest. This is a very good example of them going out on a limb and trying to be diplomatic.' The document shows ministers had hoped 'some reformatory movement' led by those involved in slavery would make their action 'unnecessary,' but that they felt compelled to act after they 'witnessed with painful surprise, a growing disposition to justify, extend and perpetuate their iniquitous system.' 'Under these circumstances we can no longer be silent,' the document states. 'We owe something to the oppressed as well as to the oppressor, and justice demands the fulfillment of that obligation. Truth and Humanity and Public Virtue, have claims upon us which we cannot dishonor.' The document explains why the ministers 'disapprove and abhor the system of American slavery.' 'With such a system we can have no sympathy,' the document states. 'After a careful observation of its character and effects and making every deduction with the largest charity can require, we are constrained to regard it as an outrage upon the rights and happiness of our fellow men, for which there is no valid justification or apology.' Who signed the document? The Rev. Diane Badger, the administrator of the American Baptist Church of Massachusetts who oversees the archive, teamed up with the Rev. John Odams of the First Baptist Church in Boston to identify what she called the 'Holy Grail' of abolitionist-era Baptist documents. Her great-grandfather was an American Baptist minister. Since its discovery, Badger has put all the ministers' names on a spreadsheet along with the names of the churches where they served. Among them was Nathaniel Colver, of Tremont Temple in Boston, one of the first integrated churches in the country, now known as Tremont Temple Baptist Church. Another was Baron Stow, who belonged to the state's anti-slavery society. Badger also is working to estimate the value of the document, which is intact with no stains or damage, and is making plans to ensure it is protected. A digital copy could eventually be shared with some of Massachusetts' 230 American Baptist churches. 'It's been kind of an interesting journey and it's one that's still unfolding,' Badger said. 'The questions that always come to me, OK, I know who signed it but who didn't? I can go through my list, through my database and find who was working where on that and why didn't they sign that. So it's been very interesting to do the research.' The Rev. Kenneth Young — whose predominantly Black Calvary Baptist Church in Haverhill, Massachusetts, was created by freed Blacks in 1871 — called the discovery inspiring. 'I thought it was awesome that we had over hundred signers to this, that they would project that freedom for our people is just,' Young said. 'It follows through on the line of the abolitionist movement and fighting for those who may not have had the strength to fight for themselves against a system of racism.'
Los Angeles Times
19 hours ago
- Politics
- Los Angeles Times
A volunteer finds the Holy Grail of abolitionist-era Baptist documents in Massachusetts
GROTON, Mass. — Jennifer Cromack was combing through the American Baptist archive when she uncovered a slim box among some 18th and 19th century journals. Opening it, she found a scroll in pristine condition. A closer look revealed the 5-foot-long document was a handwritten declaration titled 'A Resolution and Protest Against Slavery,' signed by 116 New England ministers in Boston and adopted March 2, 1847. Until its discovery in May at the archives in Groton, Mass., American Baptist officials worried the anti-slavery document had been lost forever after fruitless searches at Harvard and Brown universities and other locations. A copy was last seen in a 1902 history book. 'I was just amazed and excited,' Cromack, a retired teacher who volunteers at the archive, said. 'We made a find that really says something to the people of the state and the people in the country. ... It speaks of their commitment to keeping people safe and out of situations that they should not be in.' The document offers a glimpse into an emerging debate over slavery in the 18th century in the Northeast. The document was signed 14 years before the start of the Civil War as a growing number of religious leaders were starting to speak out against slavery. The document also shines a spotlight on a crucial moment in the history of the Baptist church. It was signed two years after the issue of slavery prompted Southern Baptists to split from Northern Baptists and form the Southern Baptist Convention, the nation's largest Protestant denomination. The split in 1845 followed a ruling by the American Baptist Foreign Mission Society prohibiting slave owners from becoming missionaries. The Northern Baptists eventually became American Baptist Churches USA. 'It comes from such a critical era in American history, you know, right prior to the Civil War,' said the Rev. Mary Day Hamel, the executive minister of the American Baptist Churches of Massachusetts. 'It was a unique moment in history when Baptists in Massachusetts stepped up and took a strong position and stood for justice in the shaping of this country,' she said. 'That's become part of our heritage to this day, to be people who stand for justice, for American Baptists to embrace diversity.' Deborah Bingham Van Broekhoven, the executive director emerita of the American Baptist Historical Society, said many Americans at the time, especially in the North, were 'undecided' about slavery and weren't sure how to respond or were worried about speaking out. 'They thought it was a Southern problem, and they had no business getting involved in what they saw as the states' rights,' Van Broekhoven said. 'Most Baptists, prior to this, would have refrained from this kind of protest. This is a very good example of them going out on a limb and trying to be diplomatic.' The document shows ministers had hoped 'some reformatory movement' led by those involved in slavery would make their action 'unnecessary,' but that they felt compelled to act after they 'witnessed with painful surprise, a growing disposition to justify, extend and perpetuate their iniquitous system.' 'Under these circumstances we can no longer be silent,' the document states. 'We owe something to the oppressed as well as to the oppressor, and justice demands the fulfillment of that obligation. Truth and Humanity and Public Virtue, have claims upon us which we cannot dishonor.' The document explains why the ministers 'disapprove and abhor the system of American slavery.' 'With such a system we can have no sympathy,' the document states. 'After a careful observation of its character and effects and making every deduction with the largest charity can require, we are constrained to regard it as an outrage upon the rights and happiness of our fellow men, for which there is no valid justification or apology.' The Rev. Diane Badger, the administrator of the American Baptist Church of Massachusetts who oversees the archive, teamed up with the Rev. John Odams of the First Baptist Church in Boston to identify what she called the 'Holy Grail' of abolitionist-era Baptist documents. Her great-grandfather was an American Baptist minister. Since its discovery, Badger has put all the ministers' names on a spreadsheet along with the names of the churches where they served. Among them was Nathaniel Colver, of Tremont Temple in Boston, one of the first integrated churches in the country, now known as Tremont Temple Baptist Church. Another was Baron Stow, who belonged to the state's anti-slavery society. Badger also is working to estimate the value of the document, which is intact with no stains or damage, and is making plans to ensure it is protected. A digital copy could eventually be shared with some of Massachusetts' 230 American Baptist churches. 'It's been kind of an interesting journey and it's one that's still unfolding,' Badger said. 'The questions that always come to me, OK, I know who signed it but who didn't? I can go through my list, through my database and find who was working where on that and why didn't they sign that. So it's been very interesting to do the research.' The Rev. Kenneth Young — whose predominantly Black Calvary Baptist Church in Haverhill, Mass., was created by freed Blacks in 1871 — called the discovery inspiring. 'I thought it was awesome that we had over a hundred signers to this, that they would project that freedom for our people is just,' Young said. 'It follows through on the line of the abolitionist movement and fighting for those who may not have had the strength to fight for themselves against a system of racism.' Casey writes for the Associated Press.
Daily Mail
a day ago
- General
- Daily Mail
Incredible 'Holy Grail' note feared lost for 180 YEARS is found in pristine condition hidden in cardboard box
A historical anti-slavery note long believed to have been lost forever has been discovered in the depths of an American Baptist church archive. Volunteer Jennifer Cromack made the extraordinary discovery while trawling through 18th and 19th century journals which had been stored in boxes for decades. In one of these boxes, she found a five foot scroll in pristine condition. It was a handwritten declaration titled 'A Resolution and Protest Against Slavery.' The document, signed by 116 New England ministers in Boston and adopted March 2, 1847, was long believed lost forever after historians had searched high and low at for it at Harvard and Brown universities over the years. A copy of the document was last seen in 1902 inside a history book, but the original had never been found. Cormack said she was 'amazed and excited' at her discovery. Reverend Diane Badger, the administrator of the American Baptist Church of Massachusetts who oversees the archive, described the scroll as the 'Holy Grail' of abolitionist-era Baptist documents. It speaks to the thoughts and feelings of church leaders at the time about slavery, and their growing uneasiness. Rev. Diane Badger unfurls a recently found, 178-year-old anti-slavery scroll at Grotonwood, the home mission of The American Baptist Churches of Massachusetts It was signed 14 years before the start of the Civil War, offering a glimpse into the emerging debate. 'We made a find that really says something to the people of the state and the people in the country,' Cormack said. 'It speaks of their commitment to keeping people safe and out of situations that they should not be in.' Deborah Bingham Van Broekhoven, the executive director emerita of the American Baptist Historical Society, said many Americans at the time, especially in the North, were 'undecided' about slavery and weren't sure how to respond or were worried about speaking out. 'They thought it was a Southern problem, and they had no business getting involved in what they saw as the state's rights,' Van Broekhoven said. 'Most Baptists, prior to this, would have refrained from this kind of protest. This is a very good example of them going out on a limb and trying to be diplomatic.' The document shows ministers had hoped 'some reformatory movement' led by those involved in slavery would make their action 'unnecessary,' but that they felt compelled to act after they 'witnessed with painful surprise, a growing disposition to justify, extend and perpetuate their iniquitous system.' 'Under these circumstances we can no longer be silent,' the document states. 'We owe something to the oppressed as well as to the oppressor, and justice demand the fulfillment of that obligation. Truth and Humanity and Public Virtue, have claims upon us which we cannot dishonor.' The document explains why the ministers 'disapprove and abhor the system of American slavery.' 'With such a system we can have no sympathy,' the document states. 'After a careful observation of its character and effects and making every deduction with the largest charity can require, we are constrained to regard it as an outrage upon the rights and happiness of our fellow men, for which there is no valid justification or apology.' Reverend Mary Day Hamel, the executive minister of the American Baptist Churches of Massachusetts, said that letter sparked a movement within the church that is still important. 'It was a unique moment in history when Baptists in Massachusetts stepped up and took a strong position and stood for justice in the shaping of this country,' she said. 'That's become part of our heritage to this day, to be people who stand for justice, for American Baptists to embrace diversity.' It was signed two years after the issue of slavery prompted southern Baptists to split from northern Baptists and form the Southern Baptist Convention, the nation's largest Protestant denomination. The split in 1845 followed a ruling by the American Baptist Foreign Mission Society prohibiting slave owners from becoming missionaries. The northern Baptists eventually became American Baptist Churches USA. Since its discovery, Badger has put all the ministers' names on a spreadsheet along with the names of the churches where they served. Among them was Nathaniel Colver, of Tremont Temple in Boston, one of the first integrated churches in the country, now known as Tremont Temple Baptist Church. Another was Baron Stow, who belonged to the state's anti-slavery society. Badger also is working to estimate the value of the document, which is intact with no stains or damage, and is making plans to ensure it is protected. A digital copy could eventually be shared with some of Massachusetts' 230 American Baptist churches. 'It's been kind of an interesting journey and it's one that´s still unfolding,' Badger said. 'The questions that always come to me, OK, I know who signed it but who didn't? I can go through my list, through my database and find who was working where on that and why didn't they sign that. So it´s been very interesting to do the research.' Reverend Kenneth Young - whose predominantly Black Calvary Baptist Church in Haverhill, Massachusetts, was created by freed black slaves in 1871 - called the discovery inspiring. 'I thought it was awesome that we had over hundred signers to this, that they would project that freedom for our people is just,' Young said. 'It follows through on the line of the abolitionist movement and fighting for those who may not have had the strength to fight for themselves against a system of racism.'
CTV News
2 days ago
- General
- CTV News
A volunteer finds the Holy Grail of abolitionist-era Baptist documents in Massachusetts
Historian Jennifer Cromack points out the word "Slavery" on a recently found, 178-year-old anti-slavery scroll at Grotonwood, the home mission of The American Baptist Churches of Massachusetts, Thursday, June 26, 2025, in Groton, Mass. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa) GROTON, Mass. — Jennifer Cromack was combing through the American Baptist archive when she uncovered a slim box among some 18th and 19th century journals. Opening it, she found a scroll in pristine condition. A closer look revealed the 5-foot-long (1.5-metre-long) document was a handwritten declaration titled 'A Resolution and Protest Against Slavery,' signed by 116 New England ministers in Boston and adopted March 2, 1847. Until its discovery in May at the archives in Groton, Massachusetts, American Baptist officials worried the anti-slavery document had been lost forever after fruitless searches at Harvard and Brown universities and other locations. A copy was last seen in a 1902 history book. 'I was just amazed and excited,' Cromack, a retired teacher who volunteers at the archive, said. 'We made a find that really says something to the people of the state and the people in the country. ... It speaks of their commitment to keeping people safe and out of situations that they should not be in.' The document offers a glimpse into an emerging debate over slavery in the 18th century in the Northeast. The document was signed 14 years before the start of the Civil War as a growing number of religious leaders were starting to speak out against slavery. Baptist Lost Slavery Document Historian Jennifer Cromack holds a recently found, 178-year-old anti-slavery scroll at Grotonwood, the home mission of The American Baptist Churches of Massachusetts, Thursday, June 26, 2025, in Groton, Mass. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa) (Charles Krupa/AP) Split over slavery The document also shines a spotlight on a critical moment in the history of the Baptist church. It was signed two years after the issue of slavery prompted southern Baptists to split from northern Baptists and form the Southern Baptist Convention, the nation's largest Protestant denomination. The split in 1845 followed a ruling by the American Baptist Foreign Mission Society prohibiting slave owners from becoming missionaries. The northern Baptists eventually became American Baptist Churches USA. 'It comes from such a critical era in American history, you know, right prior to the Civil War,' said Rev. Mary Day Hamel, the executive minister of the American Baptist Churches of Massachusetts. 'It was a unique moment in history when Baptists in Massachusetts stepped up and took a strong position and stood for justice in the shaping of this country,' she said. 'That's become part of our heritage to this day, to be people who stand for justice, for American Baptists to embrace diversity.' A risky declaration Deborah Bingham Van Broekhoven, the executive director emerita of the American Baptist Historical Society, said many Americans at the time, especially in the North, were 'undecided' about slavery and weren't sure how to respond or were worried about speaking out. 'They thought it was a southern problem, and they had no business getting involved in what they saw as the state's rights,' Van Broekhoven said. 'Most Baptists, prior to this, would have refrained from this kind of protest. This is a very good example of them going out on a limb and trying to be diplomatic.' The document shows ministers had hoped 'some reformatory movement' led by those involved in slavery would make their action 'unnecessary,' but that they felt compelled to act after they 'witnessed with painful surprise, a growing disposition to justify, extend and perpetuate their iniquitous system.' 'Under these circumstances we can no longer be silent,' the document states. 'We owe something to the oppressed as well as to the oppressor, and justice demands the fulfillment of that obligation. Truth and Humanity and Public Virtue, have claims upon us which we cannot dishonor.' The document explains why the ministers 'disapprove and abhor the system of American slavery.' 'With such a system we can have no sympathy,' the document states. 'After a careful observation of its character and effects and making every deduction with the largest charity can require, we are constrained to regard it as an outrage upon the rights and happiness of our fellow men, for which there is no valid justification or apology.' Baptist Lost Slavery Document Rev. Diane Badger unfurls a recently found, 178-year-old anti-slavery scroll at Grotonwood, the home mission of The American Baptist Churches of Massachusetts, Thursday, June 26, 2025, in Groton, Mass. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa) (Charles Krupa/AP) Who signed the document? Rev. Diane Badger, the administrator of the American Baptist Church of Massachusetts who oversees the archive, teamed up with Rev. John Odams of the First Baptist Church in Boston to identify what she called the 'Holy Grail' of abolitionist-era Baptist documents. Her great-grandfather was an American Baptist minister. Since its discovery, Badger has put all the ministers' names on a spreadsheet along with the names of the churches where they served. Among them was Nathaniel Colver, of Tremont Temple in Boston, one of the first integrated churches in the country, now known as Tremont Temple Baptist Church. Another was Baron Stow, who belonged to the state's anti-slavery society. Badger also is working to estimate the value of the document, which is intact with no stains or damage, and is making plans to ensure it is protected. A digital copy could eventually be shared with some of Massachusetts' 230 American Baptist churches. 'It's been kind of an interesting journey and it's one that's still unfolding,' Badger said. 'The questions that always come to me, OK, I know who signed it but who didn't? I can go through my list, through my database and find who was working where on that and why didn't they sign that. So it's been very interesting to do the research.' Rev. Kenneth Young — whose predominantly Black Calvary Baptist Church in Haverhill, Massachusetts, was created by freed Blacks in 1871 — called the discovery inspiring. 'I thought it was awesome that we had over hundred signers to this, that they would project that freedom for our people is just,' Young said. 'It follows through on the line of the abolitionist movement and fighting for those who may not have had the strength to fight for themselves against a system of racism.' Michael Casey, The Associated Press
Toronto Star
2 days ago
- General
- Toronto Star
A volunteer finds the Holy Grail of abolitionist-era Baptist documents in Massachusetts
GROTON, Mass. (AP) — Jennifer Cromack was combing through the American Baptist archive when she uncovered a slim box among some 18th and 19th century journals. Opening it, she found a scroll in pristine condition. A closer look revealed the 5-foot-long (1.5-meter-long) document was a handwritten declaration titled 'A Resolution and Protest Against Slavery,' signed by 116 New England ministers in Boston and adopted March 2, 1847. Until its discovery in May at the archives in Groton, Massachusetts, American Baptist officials worried the anti-slavery document had been lost forever after fruitless searches at Harvard and Brown universities and other locations. A copy was last seen in a 1902 history book.
