Black worshippers in Union-occupied New Bern, North Carolina, organize an African Methodist Episcopal Zion congregation as freedom approaches.
At a Glance
- Date
- 27 December 1862
- Location
- New Bern, North Carolina
- Category
- Religion
- Source
- AME Zion church records (1862) · Library of Congress
What It Meant Then
It reflected the wartime surge of independent Black churches as enslaved people claimed religious self-determination.
What It Means Now
Such congregations became anchors of education and politics in the postwar South.
Cite this page
- MLA
- “An Independent Black Church Rises in the Occupied South.” Black-History.com, 30 Sept. 2026, https://black-history.com/on-this-day/an-independent-black-church-rises-in-the-occupied-south/.
- APA
- Black-History.com Editors. (2026, September 30). An Independent Black Church Rises in the Occupied South. Black-History.com. https://black-history.com/on-this-day/an-independent-black-church-rises-in-the-occupied-south/
- Chicago
- Black-History.com Editors. “An Independent Black Church Rises in the Occupied South.” Black-History.com. September 30, 2026. https://black-history.com/on-this-day/an-independent-black-church-rises-in-the-occupied-south/.
Editorial Note
By the Black-History.com editors. Last reviewed 30 September 2026. To suggest a primary source or a correction, write to editors@black-history.com or use our corrections form.