One of the richest contributions to church music in America has undoubtedly come from the heritage of the African-Americans who came to America as slaves. Their hymns and spirituals, which are sung today across the world, give evidence of both the extreme hardships and the fervent faith that was a part of their experience in America.
These and other men and women, among the first to be called evangelicals, organized the Church Missionary Society and other Bible and tract societies. Together they took the lead in social reform and helped to make significant and lasting changes in Britain, changes that inspired other believers around the world.
John Greenleaf Whittier (1807-1892), commonly known as the “Quaker Poet,” was born in Haverhill, Massachusetts. Beginning life as a farm boy and village shoemaker, and with only a limited education, he entered the profession of journalism in 1828.