In this short article written for the Journal of Negro History, Pierre provides an overview of the activities of the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts, a British religious society that was active in America from the beginning of the eighteenth century through the start of the Revolutionary War. Pierre reports that early in its history, the Society began proselytizing to the settlers living in the colonies, beginning in South Carolina and eventually extending into nearly all areas of the colonies. While Pierre minimizes the success of the Society in parts of Virginia, Maryland, New Jersey, and New England, he affirms the efforts of ministers in Pennsylvania and New York, particularly in New York City. He states that the Society continued to bring the message of the Gospel to the slaves until the start of the Revolutionary War.

Brent Kinser