Apostle of Liberation

AME Bishop Paul Quinn and the Underground Railroad

Cheryl Janifer LaRoche

• Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers
• Year: 2025
• eBook ISBN: 9798881863104
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Social Sciences
• Subtopic: Social Science Biographies
• Index: Social Sciences

William Paul Quinn's untold story is a missing piece of American history. His deep but little-known involvement with the Underground Railroad is one of the most fascinating subplots of a remarkable life. More than any other prelate of the African Methodist Episcopal Church, or AME Church, Quinn (1788-1873) guided the faithful throughout the perilous pre-Civil War years, sanctioning escape from slavery while avoiding suspicion and, by all appearances, upholding the law. Quinn helped his followers navigate the hardships of slavery, as well as the demands of freedom in the post-Civil War world.
Apostle of Liberation illuminates Quinn's significance, demonstrating why his life and courageous efforts deserve more attention-and more appreciation. It also explores, in depth and for the first time, the eight and a half years Quinn spent in New York City. It was during this time that Quinn experienced the major conflict of his life with AME founder Bishop Richard Allen over Quinn's independent activities in New York. Much to Bishop Allen's frustration, Quinn-one of the AME Church's "Four Horsemen"along with Allen-associated with ministers of other denominations, collaborated with the city's African American civic leaders, rescued freedom seekers, and operated beyond Allen's reach. Quinn later established a 150-member independent church in the city, earning Allen's wrath and a five-year exile from the church.
This remarkable missionary's life embodies the struggles and challenges that shaped the lives of nineteenth-century Black leaders, and those who followed them. Apostle of Liberation explores the historical figure as well as the man of God-his spiritual gifts, his character and uniqueness, as well as his many strengths and failings. The book carefully lays out his trials and triumphs, and the magnitude of his accomplishments in the face of legally sanctioned national opposition, denominational fights and schisms, and devastating Supreme Court decisions. Combining AME Church history, the story of the Underground Railroad, the origins of African American educational efforts, and inspiring anecdotes of westward migration and community engagement, Apostle of Liberation offers an original and distinctive contribution to American religious history.

Table of contents

• Cover
• Half Title
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Dedication
• Contents
• List of Figures
• Preface: Why Paul Quinn Matters
• Chapter 1: William Paul Quinn and the Birth of African Methodism
• Chapter 2: The Circuit Rider and the Underground Railroad: 1817–1824
• Chapter 3: Quinn in New York City: 1824–1828
• Chapter 4: Independence in New York City: 1828–1833
• Chapter 5: Quinn Returns to the Fold: 1833–1836
• Chapter 6: Local Circuits to an International Conference 1836–1844: West to Indiana and Missouri—South to Kentucky and Louisiana—North to Canada
• Chapter 7: Bishop Quinn: 1844–1849
• Chapter 8: The Tumultuous Years: 1850–1858
• Chapter 9: Quinn, the Underground Railroad, and the Civil War: 1859–1865
• Chapter 10: Passing the Torch: 1865–1872
• Chapter 11: Receiving His Crown
• Afterword
• Churches, Chapels, and Institutions Named for William Paul Quinn across the United States
• Acknowledgments
• Notes
• Bibliography
• Index
• About the Author