Reverend James Page 200 years of Tallahassee History

Book featured: “Father James Page; An Enslaved Preacher’s Climb to Freedom” by Larry Eugene Rivers; 2021, John Hopkins University Press.
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Reverend James Page (1808-1883) was born into slavery in Virginia. His mother and younger brother were also slaves, and sold to another owner. His father, a free person of color, died while going to Liberia, Africa.
Page was owned by John Parkhill, who became the one of the wealthiest plantation owners in Florida. Parkhill encouraged Page to read and write in church and Bible study, which opened the future for Page’s ministry.
The Parkhills moved to Tallahassee, Florida in 1827. Page was ordained a minister about 1829.
John Parkhill’s nephew, also named John Parkhill, was the highest ranking officer killed in the Third Seminole War, and has a monument in front of the old Capitol building.
After emancipation, James Page founded several churches, including two that still exist today.
You can visit the historical building of the Bethlehem Missionary Baptist Church at the Tallahassee Museum. (circa 1870)
Bethel Missionary Baptist Church is an active church today, and during the Civil Rights movement, led by Pastor C.K. Steele. His son Darryl Steele was an accomplished Blues guitarist. Coincidentally, the church is right next to St. Johns Cemetery, where the Parkhill family is buried along with other plantation owners. The church also has a large charter school, two blocks away.
My books:
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And many of the other books that I sometimes show on my videos; either historic reprints or modern works, are available through the Seminole Wars Foundation www.seminolewars.org
My blog:
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