1818

Following the founding of the African Methodist Episcopal Church in 1816, Bishop Richard Allen rapidly expanded the denomination's reach, establishing congregations in multiple Northern cities and creating the first major independent Black institutional network in America. By the late 1810s and 1820s, AME churches served as community centers, schools, safe houses for freedom-seekers, and hubs of political organizing. The AME Church became the most powerful institution in Black American life for the next century.

The second General Conference of the AME Church met in Philadelphia in 1818 and adopted a hymnal — the first hymnbook published by and for Black Americans. Richard Allen compiled the hymns, many reflecting African American worship styles. The conference also expanded church governance to accommodate growing congregations in new cities.

The second General Conference of the AME Church met in Philadelphia in 1818 and adopted a hymnal compiled by Richard Allen — the first hymnbook published by and for Black Americans. The hymns reflected African American worship styles and musical sensibility, establishing the AME's distinctive congregational sound.