AME Zion Church Expands to Become Major Abolitionist Institution

The African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church — founded in New York in 1796 by James Varick — grew rapidly in the 1840s, earning the name 'Freedom Church' for its abolitionist commitments. Members included Frederick Douglass, Harriet Tubman, Sojourner Truth, and Jermain Loguen. By 1860 it had over 4,600 members. Its churches in Northern cities served as Underground Railroad stations, political meeting halls, and literacy centers.