A Slave Story: A Historical Survey of American Slavery and Christianity

Abstract

This thesis is not an exhaustive history of the life of slaves. It does not examine Indian slaves, child labor, or indentured servants. It does not speak on racism in the modern era. While it may make brief excursions, its focus is primarily on American Christians’ interactions with, teachings about, and the lives of Black slaves in the British Colonies and the subsequent United States. It draws extensively from primary source material of slaves, preachers, and church records to show the rhetoric surrounding American Slavery and Christianity. Testimonies from many individuals include Olaudah Equiano, Francis Le Jau, Peter Randolph, Frederick Douglass, Richard Allen, and Jeremiah Asher. The thesis will also look in depth at some Lutheran synods and their interactions with slaves, slavery, and the Abolition movement.