The Merikins. America, Trinidad and Canada's forgotten history official documentary
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I do recall reading about this history from the book “The Spiritual Baptist Faith” by Rev. Patricia Stephens… African New World Religious Identity, History & Testimony...
John Stewart (1976) when he wrote
The Baptist faith was in fact introduced (in Trinidad) .O. by a number of black refugees who had themselves been members of the earliest Black Baptist congregation in the Southern United States of America. The early conflagration had developed along the Savannah River- which marks the state boundary between South Carolina and Georgia-prior to the American Revolutionary War, but was broken up and dispersed as a direct consequence of the war itself...
Archbishop Raymond Oba Douglas makes the same point:
The Baptist religion came to Trinidad by African ex-slaves in 1815 from America…The first boat load arrived May 1815 by HMS Levant with 61 men, women and children, who settled in Naparima and the third, fourth and fifth company in Moruga.
As a Baptist I join in celebrating this major milestone. The 'Merikins, those freed Black American Soldiers who came to TT in the early 19th century and formed the "Company" villages and Churches in Moruga are an integral part of TT and Black history. Join the Baptists in their final, large public event for the year on September 17 2016. On that date from 9;00am -4:00pm there will be a Leadership Conference and book launch at Chamber of Commerce Conference Room, Campden Road Couva.
What an interesting story of our peoples history,To anyone who attended secondary school or one of the prestige schools like QRC,CIC,Fatima or presentation college anywhere from the mid to late sixties in the West Indian History Books that were used at that time i think it was book5 the final chapter has some information similar to this where it speaks about African American Freed Slaves from Louisiana who were sent to Trinidad and settled in South Central Trinidad.If anyone reading this has any of that information i will be glad to hear what they know about this.The West indian history book in question is the last chapter of the book i cant remember the author maybe that too will have to be researched.