The names of enslaved church members may be found inside this collection. It’s possible that these are the sole documents proving that some of these people actually existed. There are also records of famous academics and politicians who lived in Oglethorpe County, Georgia.
Henry Newton grew up in Athens, Georgia, as a Presbyterian preacher. In 1841, he received his bachelor’s degree from the University of Georgia, and in 1845, he received his master’s degree from Columbia Theological Seminary. Newton preached to both enslaved and liberated African Americans throughout the state from 1845 to 1897 in several northeast Georgian churches.
These projects are the Columbia Theological Seminary’s second collaboration with the DLG.
Ashley Simpson, former president of the Athens Historical Society and Georgia historical marker researcher, describes the importance of having these materials available for research freely online:
“Digitization has allowed historians, genealogists, family researchers, and the merely curious to see and use records without harming the originals.
During COVID, we discovered that we could all work with the digitized manuscript simultaneously by working remotely.
Access to digital copies of original documents permits some claims to be verified and some misinformation to be disproven.
Granting digital access to the Henry Newton papers and the Lexington Presbyterian Church records facilitates a greater understanding of daily life and the rich historical background of northeast Georgia. ”
Columbia Theological Seminary exists to educate and nurture faithful, imaginative, and effective leaders for the sake of the church and the world. It is an educational institution of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) and a community of theological inquiry, leadership development, and formation for ministry in the service of the church of Jesus Christ. Visit ctsnet.edu for more information.
Selected images:
Christian Observer, May 6, 1886. Courtesy of Columbia Theological Seminary. Three letters written by Reverend Henry Newton to the editors of the Christian Observer regarding the controversy surrounding James Woodrow and the theory of evolution. In the first letter, Newton clarifies the nature of the investigation into accusations against Woodrow. In the second letter, Newton describes the evolution debate happening in the Presbyterian church, claiming that the church has no say in scientific theories and vice versa. In the third letter, Newton admonishes the false persecution being advanced against Woodrow by enemies within the church. From notes: Contains three letters to the editors of the Christian Observer regarding the deposition of James Woodrow in the evolution controversy in the Presbyterian Church in the U.S.Accounts and expenses, 1853-1870, page 39 of 166. Account book of reverend Reverend Henry Newton. This account book features lists of transactions, family expenses, monies paid out, and produce received from churches, all dating from 1853 to 1870. In addition, there is a list of sermons performed by Newton organized by the book of the Bible from which they came. Also included are notes on a contract for building additions to Newton’s home and a list of sermons ‘Preached to Negroes at Thyatira at Jefferson at Concord.’Book “A” Record of Presbyterian Church at Lexington, 1822-1874. Courtesy of Columbia Theological Seminary. Page 24 of record book of the Presbyterian Church at Lexington, Georgia covering the years 1822 to 1874. This book covers various happenings pertaining to church events, polity, and membership. It lists baptisms and sacraments performed, changes in church leadership, including ministers and elders, changes in congregants, including those joining and those leaving the church, and news of major events in nearby Presbyteries. The Lexington Presbyterian Church records document the names of enslaved members of the church, and it is not unlikely that for some of the names provided it is the only existing record that these people ever lived.Title: Accounts and expenses, 1853-1870, page 110 of 166. Courtesy of Columbia Theological Seminary Description: Account book of reverend Reverend Henry Newton featuring lists of transactions, family expenses, monies paid out, and produce received from churches, all dating from 1853 to 1870. Includes a list of sermons performed by Newton organized by the book of the Bible from which they came. There are also notes on a contract for building additions to Newton’s home and a list of sermons that includes those preached to African Americans.
A premier online compilation of digital civil rights content is relaunching with a new look and thousands of additional pieces of history.
The milestone marks a new era for the Civil Rights Digital Library (CRDL). This project brings together more than 200 libraries, archives, and museums to provide free online access to historical materials documenting the Civil Rights Movement in the United States. These collaborative partnerships are the bedrock of this national project.
Barbara McCaskill, an English professor at the University of Georgia who serves as director of the Civil Rights Digital Library and other projects, notes:
“Since its launch in 2008, the Civil Rights Digital Library has played a meaningful role in advancing the understanding of America’s civil rights activism at a time when upticks in racially motivated violence and crime and the erosion of voting rights have attached more urgency than ever to issues of equality, equity, human dignity, and freedom.”
She says:
“The signal achievement of this resource is its varied and unique content about people, places, and events. But it also challenges users to expand their knowledge of civil rights studies beyond national icons such as Dr. King and Rosa Parks, cities such as Atlanta and Birmingham, and beyond the 50s, 60s, and 70s to the present day.“
”As a result, the Civil Rights Digital Library continues to demonstrate a transformative impact on scholarship and instruction, as well as on how we carry ourselves as citizens and come together in community.”
Since 2005, the portal has grown from about 100 collections to more than 350 collections of digitized content, including primary sources and educational resources.
The Civil Rights Digital Library contains contributions from statewide and national partners, documenting the civil rights era, including:
Researchers and visitors can search the content of the Civil Rights Digital Library in numerous ways, includinggeographic location browsing with an interactive map that identifies civil rights movement-related resources in all 50 states.
The site also contains:
Biographical information for more than 3,000 people active during the civil rights era, which can be browsed alphabetically by surname. Many of these civil rights workers and foot soldiers may not be familiar, but their commitment to the movement formed the backbone of transformative civil rights campaigns and social reform.
Raw newsfilm footage from Georgia television stations WSB (Atlanta) and WALB (Albany) preserved through the University of Georgia Libraries’ Walter J. Brown Media Archives and Peabody Awards Collection. These stations covered civil rights events throughout the entire southeastern United States.
Exhibits drawn from materials belonging to partner libraries, archives, and museums across Georgia, created by Georgia graduate students in collaboration with the DLG and NGE.
“By relaunching an expanded site on Sept. 9, 2022, the 65th anniversary of the 1957 Civil Rights Act, the Digital Library of Georgia celebrates the first federal civil rights legislation of the 20th century,” adds Sheila McAlister, director of the Digital Library of Georgia. “The relaunch demonstrates the DLG’s commitment to reflecting and sharing the diversity of experiences in Georgia and nationwide.”
Download the Civil Rights Digital Library 2022 Press Kit here.
Selected images:
https://crdl.usg.edu/record/ugabma_wsbn_wsbn44816 Series of WSB-TV newsfilm clips of a civil rights march and resulting arrest; civil rights preachers and local officials speaking at mass meetings; groups of Albany city officials as well as civil rights leaders entering the federal courthouse; and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and Reverend Ralph D. Abernathy at a press conference in Albany, Georgia, 1962 July. In this still image, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. expresses his disappointment of the injunction blocking demonstrations issued by federal district judge J. Robert Elliott and his gratitude for the reversal of that injunction by Judge Tuttle. He calls the audience to present their bodies as a significant witness by continuing to move and work for freedom. Courtesy of the Walter J. Brown Media Archives and Peabody Awards Collection.
https://crdl.usg.edu/record/ugabma_wsbn_wsbn41989 Series of WSB-TV newsfilm clips of African American civil rights workers, Georgia National Guardsmen, and city officials in Albany, Georgia, 1961 December. Courtesy of the Walter J. Brown Media Archives and Peabody Awards Collection.
https://crdl.usg.edu/record/ugabma_wsbn_wsbn36242 WSB-TV newsfilm clip of an unidentified white female civil rights worker describing the challenges she faces in rural southwest Georgia from Mt. Zion Baptist Church in Albany, Georgia, 1962 August 1. This still image includes participants of a mass meeting, possibly at Shiloh Baptist Church, singing the freedom song, “Keep Your Eyes on the Prize.” Courtesy of the Walter J. Brown Media Archives and Peabody Awards Collection.
https://crdl.usg.edu/record/ugabma_wsbn_wsbn36237 WSB-TV newsfilm clip of African American student protesters singing as they are arrested by police at the Albany Carnegie Library in Albany, Georgia, 1962 August 2. Courtesy of the Walter J. Brown Media Archives and Peabody Awards Collection.
