Eastern Illinois University The Keep Masters Theses Student Theses & Publications 2008 Evangelical religion and benevolent reform in the antebellum urban southwest: Natchez and Vicksburg, Mississippi, 1800-1860 Matthew .S Berry Eastern Illinois University This research is a product of the graduate program in History at Eastern Illinois University. Find out more about the program. Recommended Citation Berry, Matthew S., "Evangelical religion and benevolent reform in the antebellum urban southwest: Natchez and Vicksburg, Mississippi, 1800-1860" (2008). Masters Theses. 424. https://thekeep.eiu.edu/theses/424 This is brought to you for free and open access by the Student Theses & Publications at The Keep. It has been accepted for inclusion in Masters Theses by an authorized administrator of The Keep. For more information, please contact [email protected]. JI Evangelical Religion and Benevolent Reform in the Antebellum Urban Southwest: Natchez and Vicksburg, Mississippi, 1800-1860 (TITLE) BY Matthew Scott J�erry THESIS SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF Master of Arts in History IN THE GRADUATE SCHOOL, EASTERN ILLINOIS UNIVERSITY CHARLESTON, ILLINOIS 2008 YEAR I HEREBY RECOMMEND THAT THIS THESIS BE ACCEPTED AS FULFILLING THIS PART OF THE GRADUATE DEGREE CITED ABOVE 5':z<f-O}' s-2"1-oK THESIS COMMITIEE CHAIR DATE DEPARTMENT/SCHOOL CHAIR DATE no f""U/\IO'C ni::c1r-f\.1Ci:: I I ')�30-C8 5�·3D.-� -- I THESIS COMMITTEE MEMBER DATE THESIS COMMITTEE MEMBER DATE THESIS COMMITTEE MEMBER DATE THESIS COMMITTEE MEMBER DATE ·· ·wm11' WM' • Untitled Document Page 1of1 THESIS MAINTENANCE AND REPRODUCTION CERTIFICATE TO: Graduate Degree Candidates \who have written formal theses) SUBJECT: Permission to Reproduce Theses The University Library is receiving a number of request from other institutions asking permission to reproduce dissertations for inclusion in their library holdings. Although no copyright laws are involved, we feel that professional courtesy demands that permission be obtained from the author before we allow these to be copied. PLEASE SIGN ONE OF THE FOLLOWING STATEMENTS: Booth Library of Eastern Illinois University has my permission to lend my thesis to a reputable college or university for the purpose of copying it for inclusion in that institution's library or research holdings. Author's Signature Date I respectfully request Booth Library of Eastern Illinois University NOT allow my thesis to be reproduced because: Author's Signature Date This form must be submitted in duplicate. http://www.eiu.edu/�graduate/forms/thesisreproductioncert.html 5/31/2008 Evangelical Religion and Benevolent Reform in the Antebellum Urban Southwest: Natchez and Vicksburg, Mississippi, 1800-1860 By Matthew S. Berry - ·- . --- ,,,��;"0,,;;:,,;.��;;;.::;;..,.,,-;;;,;,;,";:ii • Abstract The United States' early history was marked by two periods of religious revival called "Great Awakenings." Beginning in the early nineteenth century grassroots Christian denominations began growing, mostly out of the Northeast, and spread throughout the country as land began to open in the West. This paper expands the historiography of the South during the Second Great Awakening. It adds to the broader discussion the interaction of two important urban areas with the churches and organizations of the Second Great Awakening. Most importantly it attempts to explain the discrepancy between explosive population and economic growth with the slow development of religious institutions. When the Second Great Awakening first entered Mississippi, both Natchez and Vicksburg were in the nascent stages of development, as was the religious movement. The continuity of development between the cities and the religious movement offer an alternative story of how the Second Great Awakening impacted frontier portions of the United States, particularly those that were urban. This study looks at the subject partially from the perspective of organizational decision making to gain an understanding of how the churches and institutions of the Second Great Awakening attempted to expand their influence into Natchez and Vicksburg. Furthermore, it focuses on the tension between the priorities of growing urban areas, and those of evangelical churches and organizations. This study of Natchez and Vicksburg, Mississippi argues that despite the sameness of the institutional actors in the Second Great Awakening, place and local culture strongly affected the success of the national religious movement. Dedicated to my wife, Amy. ii !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!\!�!!==================;;;;;;;:�;;;;:;;:,.;;;:;;;;;;&lmJZ;;;;iK;;;_;;;;;,�;;,,:::c,77"��''�www� -&:--------::;;: - Acknowledgments There are many people I would like to thank for assisting me in this lengthy journey. First to my committee Mark Voss-Hubbard, Ed Wehrle, and Sace Elder. A special thanks to my advisor, Mark, for his guidance on picking, then narrowing, then researching my topic. Thank you to the librarians and archivists who have helped me along the way. Particularly those at the Mississippi Department of Archives and History; the University of Mississippi at Oxford; the Wisconsin Historical Society, Madison; the Chicago Historical Society; the Newberry Library; the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library; the university libraries of: Northwestern University; Garrett Evangelical Seminary; Northern Baptist Theological Seminary; and Wheaton College. Thank you to Luke Hammonds and his family for opening their home to me while on my research trip to Mississippi. My family has been very supportive while I have written this thesis. Thanks to my mother and father as well as my in-laws, who have tried to keep me focused on the task at hand. And finally, to my beautiful wife Amy who has been as patient as can be. Whenever I struggled, she was there with reassurance. I could not have finished it without her. Ill - Table of Contents Abstract. .................................... ........................................................... .i Acknowledgements ...................... ...............................................................ii Table of Contents .............................................................................. ..... .iv Map ................ ............... ....................... ....... .................... ....................v . ........ .... ..... .... ..... ...... .. ... ... ....... ......... ..... ... ..... .... Chapter 1. .. ... .. 1 . ...... .. ...... ........ .. .. .. .. .... .... Introduction .......... .... .... ..... ... .. ..... 1 . .. .. ... Mississippi, Natchez and Vicksburg and the Second Great Awakening. 6 Purpose and Methodology ......... , ........... ......... ........... ..... .................... 9 . .... ........ ......... .. ...... .... .. An Overview of Natchez and Vicksburg .... 11 . .... .... ............. .......................... .... ........... Chapter IL ..... ................... 20 . ...... .... .. ..... ... .. .. ........... .. ... Pre-American Natchez ...... .. .. ... .. .. 20 . ... .. .. ... .. ... ... ... ... .. .. .. American Natchez . ..... ... .. .. .. .. 22 . .... .. .... .. .. .... Religibn in Early Natchez. ....... ... .. ........ ... ... ... 27 . ...... .... .... ... ..... ....... Benevolence & Reform in Natchez... ...... .. 46 . .. ..... .. .. .... ... ... .. ......... ... Conclusions Regarding Natchez . .. .. ... 56 . ........... ........... ........ .... .... .......... ...... Chapter III. ............... ... ... 59 . ... ...... .. .. ........ .......... ... .. Territorial Vicksburg . ...... ....... ..... .. .. 59 . .. .... ..... ...... ... ........... ....... ... ... ..... Religion in Vicksburg. ....... .. 65 . .... .... .... ... Benevolence & Reform in Vicksburg ... ...... .. ... ....... ... 78 . ... ....... ... .......... .. .... Conclusions Regarding Vicksburg. .. .. .. .. ... 84 . .. ... .... ... ... ... .. .. .. ..... ... ....... Chapter IV . ... ........ .... .. .. 88 . ... .... ....... ... .. ..... ... ............ .. .. ....... .. ... Bibliography . ... .. ... .102 iv Figure I: "A New Map of Mississippi" by Augustus S. Mitchell. Photo Courtesy of The Newberry Library, Chicago. v - Chapter I Introduction The United States' early history was marked by two periods of religious revival called "Great Awakenings." They occurred about one hundred years apart during the colonial and antebellum periods of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. The Second Great Awakening of the nineteenth century has been argued to have had a profound effect on the history of the United States, particularly as one of the precipitating causes of the 1 Civil War. Beginning in the early nineteenth century grassroots Christian denominations began growing, mostly out of the Northeast, and spread throughout the country as land began to open in the West. Congregational churches spread from Pennsylvania and New England west into Ohio and beyond into the Midwest. The nascent Mormon Church, meanwhile, quickly moved from New York through Ohio to Illinois, Missouri, and finally pressing on until its followers found the Promised Land in Utah. In addition to moving westward, many of the new American denominations also spread into the South following the American Revolution, particularly the Baptists, Presbyterians and Methodists. The traditional Christian denomination in that region, the Anglican Church, had been decimated by the war for independence, as many of the ministers fled back to England, or into Canada. The Baptists, Presbyterians and