David George (Baptist) facts for kids

David George (born around c. 1742–died 1810) was an African-American Baptist preacher. He was a Black Loyalist who escaped slavery in the American South. He found freedom with the British in Savannah, Georgia. Later, he moved to Nova Scotia and then to Freetown, Sierra Leone.

David George helped start the Silver Bluff Baptist Church in South Carolina in 1775. This was the first church for Black people in what is now the United States. He also worked with the First African Baptist Church in Savannah, Georgia. After moving, he started Baptist churches in Nova Scotia and Freetown, Sierra Leone. David George wrote about his life. His story is one of the most important early slave narratives.

Early Life and Escapes

David George was born in Essex County, Virginia, in 1742. His parents, John and Judith, were also enslaved. David was enslaved by a man named 'Chapel'. He ran away after seeing his mother treated very badly. He also experienced harsh treatment himself.

Some white travelers helped David run away. He worked for these men for a while. When his enslaver offered a reward for him, David ran away again. He then worked for another white man for many years. Because his enslaver kept looking for him, David moved to South Carolina.

In South Carolina, a Creek Indian chief named Blue Salt captured him. Blue Salt considered David his prize and made him work. David's former enslaver tried to trade rum, linen, and a gun for him. But Blue Salt refused to give David up. For several years, David worked for Creek and Natchez Native Americans.

David escaped again. This time, he met a Scottish trader named George Galphin. David worked for Galphin for four years at Silver Bluff, South Carolina. Galphin had many enslaved people who had married into the Creek nation.

Galphin's children helped David learn to read and write. He mainly used the Bible to practice his reading and writing skills.

Marriage and Family

While working for George Galphin, David met Phyllis. She was part Creek. They got married and had four children in what is now the United States. They had two more children while living in Nova Scotia. Later, they had four more children after moving to Sierra Leone.

Becoming a Baptist Preacher

In 1773, David George met an old friend, George Lisle. Lisle was a former enslaved person who had become a Baptist. During the Great Awakening, Baptist preachers traveled across the South. They converted both white and Black people, enslaved and free.

A white minister named Brother Palmer helped spread the word of God to David George and other Black people. Palmer helped start the church in Silver Bluff. David George, his wife, and eight others were baptized at Silver Bluff. This happened after David was inspired by Lisle's faith. In 1775, David and eight other enslaved people formed one of the first African-American Baptist churches in the United States.

An American church historian, Mark A. Noll, wrote about David George. He said that David George was a remarkable religious figure. He became a pastor of the Silver Bluff Church. During the American Revolutionary War, many enslaved people like David George saw the British as helpers. The British were fighting against slavery.

Three years later, during the American Revolutionary War, David and other enslaved people escaped to Savannah. The British had taken control of the city. This meant they gained their freedom. David continued to lead a Baptist church there.

Life in Nova Scotia and Sierra Leone

In 1782, the British began moving Black Loyalist freedmen. They had promised to do this. David George, his wife, and their three children (Jesse, David, and Ginny) were taken to Shelburne, Nova Scotia. This was after the British lost the American War of Independence. About 3,500 former enslaved people were moved from the United States to Nova Scotia.

David George started a church in Shelburne. He became a leader for the Baptist Black Loyalists. White people also joined his church. Some white people did not like his influence. In July 1784, racist mobs attacked and destroyed his house. They also destroyed the homes of many of his followers during the Shelburne Riots.

David and his wife moved to Birchtown, a nearby free Black settlement. They became an important family in the Black community there.

Several years later, the George family decided to move again. They went with other Black Loyalists to Freetown, Sierra Leone. The British helped them set up a new colony in West Africa.

David George started the first Baptist church in Sierra Leone. He was very influential there. He was chosen as a tythingman, which was an important position in the colony. David George wrote a memoir about his life. It is considered a very important slave narrative. He passed away in Freetown in 1810.

His family members today are part of the Sierra Leone Creole people. Many of his descendants belong to the Masonic Lodges of Sierra Leone. One of his descendants, also named David George, works with an organization called Amistad Sankofa. This group teaches students about global issues and helps bring people together.

In August 2007, the African United Baptist Association of Nova Scotia and the Atlantic Baptist Convention held a joint meeting. They acknowledged past racism by the white convention. They sought to make amends and come together. These groups had been separate since the 1800s.

George in Film

• David George was played by Joseph Marcell in the BBC TV show Rough Crossings (2007). This show was based on the history of Black Loyalists and the founding of Freetown.