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Daniel Alexander Payne, 1811-1893
Recollections of Seventy Years
Nashville: A. M. E. Sunday School Union, 1888.

Summary

Daniel Alexander Payne's autobiography, Recollections of Seventy Years, offers a lively account of his experiences from his childhood as an orphan in South Carolina to his maturity as an influential leader in the A.M.E. Church. Payne emphasizes the religious aspects of his life, but touches on other important issues including education, racial prejudice, music, and literature. Payne began his career as a high school teacher for African-Americans (both enslaved and free) in South Carolina until laws forbade their education. Payne migrated north to New York and Philadelphia and became involved with the A. M. E. ministry, yet he carried with him his passion for learning and devotion to educating others. Also notable are Payne's descriptions of his trips to Europe as a representative to the Ecumenical Council. Recollections of Seventy Years provides a vivid portrait of a formidable figure in A. M. E. Church history.

Maryellen Davis

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