Cartwright and Allen

To me the writings from both Peter Cartwright and Richard Allen paralleled very nicely together. Both men were Methodist preachers who faced challenges throughout their lives as they tried to spread the Methodist doctrine. Each faced their own unique sets of obstacles, but both overcame those obstacles through faith in their God. The challenges each of these men faced shed light on what it was like to be a pioneer of a growing religion in the early-mid 19^th century for both white and black men of faith.

         Out of both of these memoirs the one aspect that stuck out the most to me where Cartwright’s predictions about the strife slavery would cause America. He shrewdly predicted that slavery, and the disputes that it created, would eventually cause a civil war. I also found it interesting how Cartwright does not shy away from the fact that men of his faith played a part in making slavery the monster it had become. Rather try to direct the blame away from his fellow preachers Cartwright admits bluntly that some Methodists found ways of explaining slavery away, and even, “…justify it, on legal principles; then on Bible principles; till lo and behold! it is not an evil, but a good!”(pg. 12). It is clear from both works that in this time America was truly divided in terms of race. This division is also clearly shown in Allen’s memoir by the opposition presented to Allen and the members of the A.M.E. church as they worked to build their own place of worship. 

            While reading these works I benefited from having the additional photographs and passages even though they were not originally part of the memoirs. They added to my experience with these writings, and helped me gain a better understanding of what these men were going through. However, I did have some questions as I read. I am curious about the “classes” each of these men talked about. Where these the classes they took to become ministers? Or was this just a term used for when a person goes to church much like the term “Sunday school” that we use today? I was also curious about the poem at the end of Richard Allen’s work. Did Allen himself write this?  Is it the passage that inspired the name of Allen’s church? Or is it from somewhere else all together?