Peter Williams Jr. (1786–1840) was an African-American
Episcopal
Episcopal may refer to:
*Of or relating to a bishop, an overseer in the Christian church
*Episcopate, the see of a bishop – a diocese
*Episcopal Church (disambiguation), any church with "Episcopal" in its name
** Episcopal Church (United States ...
priest, the second ordained in the United States and the first to serve in New York City. He was an
abolitionist
Abolitionism, or the abolitionist movement, is the political movement to end slavery and liberate enslaved individuals around the world.
The first country to fully outlaw slavery was Kingdom of France, France in 1315, but it was later used ...
Haiti
Haiti, officially the Republic of Haiti, is a country on the island of Hispaniola in the Caribbean Sea, east of Cuba and Jamaica, and south of the Bahamas. It occupies the western three-eighths of the island, which it shares with the Dominican ...
, the black republic that had achieved independence in 1804 in the Caribbean. In the 1820s and 1830s, he strongly opposed the
American Colonization Society
The American Colonization Society (ACS), initially the Society for the Colonization of Free People of Color of America, was an American organization founded in 1816 by Robert Finley to encourage and support the repatriation of freeborn peop ...
's efforts to relocate free blacks to the colony of Liberia in West Africa.
In 1808 he organized St. Philip's African Church in
lower Manhattan
Lower Manhattan, also known as Downtown Manhattan or Downtown New York City, is the southernmost part of the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of Manhattan. The neighborhood is History of New York City, the historical birthplace o ...
, the second black Episcopal church in the United States. In 1827 he was a co-founder of ''
Freedom's Journal
''Freedom's Journal'' was the first African-American owned and operated newspaper published in the United States. Founded by Rev. John Wilk and other free Black men in New York City, it was published weekly starting with the March 16, 1827, issu ...
,'' the first African-American owned and operated newspaper in the United States. In 1833, he co-founded the Phoenix Society, a mutual aid society for African Americans; that year he was also elected to the executive board of the interracial
American Anti-Slavery Society
The American Anti-Slavery Society (AASS) was an Abolitionism in the United States, abolitionist society in the United States. AASS formed in 1833 in response to the nullification crisis and the failures of existing anti-slavery organizations, ...
.
Early life and education
Williams was born in
New Brunswick, New Jersey
New Brunswick is a city (New Jersey), city in and the county seat of Middlesex County, New Jersey, Middlesex County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey.Revolutionary War veteran, church sexton, and
tobacconist
A tobacconist, also called a tobacco shop, a tobacconist's shop or a smoke shop, is a retail business that sells tobacco products in various forms and the related accoutrements, such as pipes, lighters, matches, pipe cleaners, and pipe tampe ...
; and his wife, Mary "Molly" Durham, an
indentured servant
Indentured servitude is a form of Work (human activity), labor in which a person is contracted to work without salary for a specific number of years. The contract called an "indenture", may be entered voluntarily for a prepaid lump sum, as paymen ...
from
St. Kitts
Saint Kitts, officially Saint Christopher, is an island in the West Indies. The west side of the island borders the Caribbean Sea, and the eastern coast faces the Atlantic Ocean. Saint Kitts and the neighbouring island of Nevis constitute one ...
.Peter Williams Jr., ''An Oration on the Abolition of the Slave Trade; Delivered in the African Church in the City of New-York, January 1, 1808'' Paul Royster, Ed., online pdf version, Digital Commons, University of Nebraska–Lincoln, accessed 31 May 2012 After his family moved to
New York City
New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...
, Williams attended the
African Free School
The African Free School was a school for children of slaves and free people of color in New York City. It was founded by members of the New York Manumission Society, including Alexander Hamilton and John Jay, on November 2, 1787. Many of its alum ...
, founded by the
New York Manumission Society
The New York Manumission Society was founded in 1785. The term "manumission" is from the Latin meaning "a hand lets go," inferring the idea of freeing a slave. John Jay, first Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States as well as stat ...
. He was also taught privately by Rev. Thomas Lyell, a prominent
Episcopal
Episcopal may refer to:
*Of or relating to a bishop, an overseer in the Christian church
*Episcopate, the see of a bishop – a diocese
*Episcopal Church (disambiguation), any church with "Episcopal" in its name
** Episcopal Church (United States ...
priest.Julia Henning Larsen, "Peter Williams Jr. (1780–1840)" ''Black Past'', n.d., accessed 30 May 2012
In 1796, his father was among the organizers of the
African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church
The African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church, or the AME Zion Church (AMEZ) is a historically African-American Christian denomination based in the United States. It was officially formed in 1821 in New York City, but operated for a number of y ...
(AME Zion) in New York. It developed as an independent black denomination, the second in the United States after the
African Methodist Episcopal Church
The African Methodist Episcopal Church, usually called the AME Church or AME, is a Methodist denomination based in the United States. It adheres to Wesleyan theology, Wesleyan–Arminian theology and has a connexionalism, connexional polity. It ...
(AME), which was founded in Philadelphia. After the American Civil War, the AME Zion Church sent missionaries to the South and planted many congregations there among freedmen.
Career
Williams gradually became active in the
Episcopal
Episcopal may refer to:
*Of or relating to a bishop, an overseer in the Christian church
*Episcopate, the see of a bishop – a diocese
*Episcopal Church (disambiguation), any church with "Episcopal" in its name
** Episcopal Church (United States ...
Church, attending afternoon services at Trinity Church in Lower Manhattan together with other free blacks. Beginning in 1803, he was tutored by Rev.
John Henry Hobart
John Henry Hobart (September 14, 1775 – September 12, 1830) was the third Episcopal bishop of New York (1816–1830). He vigorously promoted the extension of the Episcopal Church in upstate New York, as well as founded both the General T ...
, assistant minister at Trinity. As a young man, Williams began to establish himself as a leader.
In 1808 he was chosen to give a speech on the first anniversary of the United States' abolition of the international
slave trade Slave trade may refer to:
* History of slavery - overview of slavery
It may also refer to slave trades in specific countries, areas:
* Al-Andalus slave trade
* Atlantic slave trade
** Brazilian slave trade
** Bristol slave trade
** Danish sl ...
; his talk was ''An Oration on the Abolition of the Slave Trade; Delivered in the African Church in the City of New-York, January 1, 1808''. His speech was published as a pamphlet; it was one of the earliest publications by a black person about abolition.
In 1818, with the blessings of the prominent white Episcopal minister Rev. Thomas Lyell, Williams organized a black Episcopal congregation, which identified as St. Philip's African Church. The following year the congregation was recognized by the Episcopal Church; it was the second black Episcopal church to be founded in the US (the first was African Episcopal Church of St. Thomas, in Philadelphia). It was originally located in Lower Manhattan, where most of the black population was then concentrated. As blacks moved north, so did St. Philip's. Since the early 20th century it has been located in
Harlem
Harlem is a neighborhood in Upper Manhattan, New York City. It is bounded roughly by the Hudson River on the west; the Harlem River and 155th Street on the north; Fifth Avenue on the east; and Central Park North on the south. The greater ...
.
Williams believed that abolitionist societies would rescue freed African-Americans from the ‘evil consequences’ of slavery through 'example, the lessons of morality, industry and economy', that would one day create a world where ‘all the distinctions between the inalienable rights of black men, and white’ were gone. Williams continued in his leadership and was ordained as an Episcopal priest on July 10, 1826, the second in the United States and the first in New York. The following year, he was a co-founder of ''
Freedom's Journal
''Freedom's Journal'' was the first African-American owned and operated newspaper published in the United States. Founded by Rev. John Wilk and other free Black men in New York City, it was published weekly starting with the March 16, 1827, issu ...
'', the first black newspaper in the United States. He tutored promising students at the African Free School, including
James McCune Smith
James McCune Smith (April 18, 1813 – November 17, 1865) was an American physician, apothecary, abolitionist and author. He was the first African American to earn a medical degree. His M.D. was awarded by the University of Glasgow in Glasgow, S ...
, whom he aided to go to college and medical school in Scotland at the
University of Glasgow
The University of Glasgow (abbreviated as ''Glas.'' in Post-nominal letters, post-nominals; ) is a Public university, public research university in Glasgow, Scotland. Founded by papal bull in , it is the List of oldest universities in continuous ...
. Smith returned to practice in New York as the first African-American doctor to be university-trained.
In 1833, Williams co-founded the Phoenix Society, a New York City mutual aid society for African Americans. That same year he joined the
American Anti-Slavery Society
The American Anti-Slavery Society (AASS) was an Abolitionism in the United States, abolitionist society in the United States. AASS formed in 1833 in response to the nullification crisis and the failures of existing anti-slavery organizations, ...
and was selected as one of the African-American leaders on the executive board of the interracial group. However, his bishop requested that he resign from the society.
Marriage and family
Rev. Hobart presided at the wedding of Williams and his wife. Of their children, one daughter, Amy Matilda Williams, survived to adulthood. She married wealthy black financier, Joseph Cassey of Philadelphia.