John Chavis: African American Patriot, Preacher, Teacher, and Mentor (1763-1838) / Edition 2

by Helen Chavis Othow

Overview

John Chavis had a profound impact upon the history of North Carolina, the life of African Americans, and the course of religion in America. Born in 1763, Chavis fought in the American Revolution and studied at Princeton, becoming the first black person ordained as a missionary minister in the Presbyterian church. Many of those who learned from his teachings were white, and many of the students in his Latin grammar school were the sons of prominent North Carolinians. His lifelong relationship with his students created connections with some of the most powerful individuals of the nineteenth century, and his religious writings can still stir the soul more than 150 years after his death. Chavis's story illustrates the power of faith, intelligence, and determination to overcome the precariousness of life for a free black man in this era. This account of Chavis's life, the result of research by one of his descendants, presents a thorough examination of his life, his work, and the world in which he lived. Also included is the full text of John Chavis's Letter Upon the Doctrine of the Extent of the Atonement of Christ (1837), long considered lost by many of his biographers.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780786408184
Publisher:	McFarland & Company, Incorporated Publishers
Publication date:	01/31/2001
Edition description:	REV
Pages:	216
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.43(d)
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

The late Helen Chavis Othow was a professor of English at North Carolina Central University in Durham, North Carolina, a former department chair, and an outstanding faculty award winner. She wrote extensively in the areas of African American culture and literature.

Editorial Reviews

in-depth research...thorough...a book rich in relevant history...like holding a pot of gold in one’s hand...invaluable...profound documentation of the life of a remarkable man”—Black Issues.

From the Publisher

in-depth research...thorough...a book rich in relevant history...like holding a pot of gold in one's hand...invaluable...profound documentation of the life of a remarkable man

Black Issues

Chavis fought in the American Revolution, studied at Princeton, became the first black person ordained as a missionary minister in the Presbyterian church, and influenced black and white students at his Latin grammar school. A descendent of his, Othow (English, St. Augustine College, Raleigh, North Carolina) examines his life and work and the world he lived in. She includes the full of text of his (1837), long thought lost by many of his biographers. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

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