George Bourne facts for kids

George Bourne (1780–1845) was an American abolitionist and editor in the 1800s. He is known for being the first person to publicly call for the "immediate freedom without payment" of American slaves.

Life

George Bourne was born in Westbury, Wiltshire, England, on June 13, 1780. In 1804, he moved to New York. By 1806, he was an editor and part-owner of the Baltimore Daily Gazette. In 1810, he moved to Virginia and became a Presbyterian minister.

In 1816, he wrote and printed a very important book at home called The Book and Slavery Irreconcilable. Throughout his career, he wrote more than twenty-two books. He was also one of the people who helped start the American Anti-Slavery Society. He worked hard to unite American Protestant churches against slavery. George Bourne also edited several publications that spoke out against slavery. He passed away in New York City on November 20, 1845.

Family History

George Bourne came from a family with a strong history of religious faith and standing up for what they believed in. His father, Samuel Bourne, was a deacon in the Congregational Church in England for thirty years.

His mother, Mary Rogers, was a direct descendant of John Rogers. John Rogers was one of the first people to be killed for his beliefs during the time of Queen Mary in England. He also helped translate and edit the Bible. George's family also included John Cotton, an early Puritan minister in Boston. On his father's side, he was related to James Johnston, who was killed in 1684 for defending his faith in Scotland.

Early Years and Beliefs

George Bourne studied at a seminary in Homerton, London. He was a strong nonconformist, meaning he didn't follow the official Church of England. He also believed in a republican form of government. He wrote articles that even caught the attention of the government. He joined in the growing discussions about slavery and the slave trade with other important figures like the Wilberforces and Clarksons.

Moving to America

In 1802, George Bourne visited the United States to see if it would be a good place for him to work as a minister. He felt that America offered more freedom of religion than England. After returning to England, he married Mary Stibbs in Bristol on September 6, 1804. Soon after, they sailed for New York.

His first home in America was in Baltimore. For several years, he edited the Baltimore Daily Gazette there.

Ministry in Virginia

Around 1809, George Bourne moved to Virginia. He became a minister and helped build the first Presbyterian church in Port Republic. Later, he moved to Harrisonburg. There, he started the Religious Tract Society.

In Virginia, he saw the system of American slavery firsthand. He believed it was his duty to speak the truth. He publicly and privately spoke out against the evils of slavery. Because he was so strongly against slavery, slave owners tried to force him to leave Virginia. He faced a lot of unfair treatment.

Challenging the Presbyterian Church

In 1815, George Bourne asked the Presbyterian Church's main assembly if Presbyterians who owned slaves could truly be Christians. The church refused to take action. When he returned to Harrisonburg, his local church group voted to remove him from the ministry. This is sometimes called "de-frocking."

In 1816, he published The Book and Slavery Irreconcilable. This was one of the most important anti-slavery books of its time in America. In this book, Bourne clearly stated that owning slaves was a sin. He used Bible verses and church teachings to support his argument.

The church's main assembly later removed some of his arguments from their official records. This was because of technical rules about how church laws were made. This decision meant that the largest Presbyterian church group remained officially neutral on the issue of slavery until 1866.

Impact of The Book and Slavery Irreconcilable

George Bourne's book was very powerful. It used strong language to speak out against slavery. His style of speaking out against slavery later influenced famous abolitionists like William Lloyd Garrison and Wendell Phillips.

Work in Canada

Around 1824, George Bourne was called to lead the Congregational Church in Quebec, Canada. He was the first pastor of this church.

Fighting for Freedom

George Bourne was a key figure in the early anti-slavery movement in America. He was one of the first to argue for "immediate abolition without compensation." This meant he believed slaves should be freed right away, without slave owners being paid for their "loss." His work showed that the fight against slavery could come from within Christian churches.

His Character and Skills

Bourne was a very hard worker and a dedicated student. He was almost always reading or writing. He wrote many articles for his own publications and prepared books for major publishers. He was known for his wide knowledge in many subjects. He was also very good at languages, especially Hebrew. People said he was like a "living concordance" because he remembered so much information.

He was a powerful speaker, and many people came to hear him talk about important topics. He wrote several books, including Picture of Quebec and The Reformers. He also wrote American Textbook of Popery, which was the result of forty years of study.

His book Picture of Slavery and his work with Methodist Churches in the North helped many preachers become passionate about freedom. This eventually led to a split in the Methodist Church over slavery. Churches in the South saw Bourne as a troublemaker. Even some Northern ministers who supported slavery spoke out against him.

George Bourne was the editor of the Christian Intelligencer for several years. He died on November 20, 1845.

Funeral Service

His funeral was held on November 23. During the service, Rev. Thomas De Witt said of him, "There lies one who never feared the face of man." Lewis Tappan, a close friend, also said that Bourne was a brave supporter of human rights. He called Bourne's death a great loss to the anti-slavery cause and to Christianity.

What Others Thought

William Lloyd Garrison's Words

Many people thought that William Lloyd Garrison was the main leader of the anti-slavery movement. However, Garrison himself gave a lot of credit to George Bourne. In a letter from 1858, Garrison wrote that he learned a lot from Bourne. He said Bourne helped him understand clearly that slavery did not fit with Christian teachings.

Garrison admired Bourne's brave spirit, saying he "knew nothing of fear." He said Bourne greatly helped the anti-slavery cause by supporting "immediate and unconditional emancipation." This meant freeing slaves right away, without any conditions. Garrison called Bourne "a son of thunder" and "a son of consolation," meaning he was both powerful and comforting. He also said, "Never has slavery had a more unbeatable foe or freedom a truer friend."

Garrison also confirmed that George Bourne wrote the book Slavery Illustrated in its Effects upon Woman, published in 1837.

Fighting Against Papacy

George Bourne also played a big role in speaking out against the Catholic Church in the United States. After studying the system in Canada, he worried about its growth in the U.S. because of increasing European immigration.

In 1828, he moved back to New York. On January 1, 1830, he started publishing The Protestant. This was the first newspaper in America dedicated to discussing issues with the Catholic Church.

He also started the Protestant Reformation Society. This led to other groups like the Christian Alliance, which later combined to form the American and Foreign Christian Union.

Even while focusing on this new fight, he never forgot about slavery. He worked hard to end that unfair system too. His efforts, along with William Lloyd Garrison's, led to the creation of the American Anti-Slavery Society.

Anti-Slavery Riots in New York, 1834

Many people remember the strong disagreements and even riots that happened in New York and other places because of the anti-slavery movement. Some believed that if slave owners had been paid to free their slaves, the outcome might have been different. Others felt that nothing but a direct fight could end slavery.

George Bourne showed great courage during these times. During an anti-slavery meeting in New York around 1834, a group of angry people attacked the meeting. While others, including Mr. Garrison, escaped, George Bourne stood his ground. He faced the attackers bravely, telling them to "Stand back!" His courage impressed the crowd so much that they cheered for him and left him alone.

Later Life and Family

After returning to New York from Canada, Bourne joined the Dutch Reformed Church. He continued to be a member until his death. He served as a pastor in several churches in New York. However, most of his time was spent fighting against both "Popism" (his term for the Catholic Church) and slavery.

He edited and republished many important books from earlier centuries that discussed these topics.

George Bourne was the great-grandfather of Randolph Bourne, a writer and activist from the early 1900s. George Bourne was a pastor at Sing Sing Academy in Mount Pleasant, New York, where his grandson Theodore Bourne was born.

Other members of the Bourne family who worked against slavery included Stephen Bourne, Henry Richard Fox Bourne, and Theodore Bourne.