Do Sabbatarians Have a Documented History in the U.S before 1800?
by Joe Bellefeuille
“Yes, Sabbatarians have a long and rich history in the United States. There are written records of sabbatarians in Rhode Island going back to the 1670’s. In my brief survey of early American sabbatarians, I have found evidence of sabbatarians in ten of the thirteen colonies and references to 31 sabbatarian congregations/groups in nine of the colonies. In order to share some of this surprising information in an organized format, this article is divided into the following categories: 1. Questions & Answers 2. A list of 31 known pre-1800 congregations/groups 3. A list of some family surnames of early Sabbatarians 4. Bibliography of sources consulted 1. Questions & Answers Who was the earliest known American sabbatarian? • Stephen Mumford. He came from England to Newport, Rhode Island in 1664. (Gaustad’s New Historical Atlas of Religion in America on page 3 mentions colonial records of Connecticut that state there were “four or five seventh day men” there in 1670….”
(This article is an excerpt from the March-April 2006 edition of The Sabbath Sentinel)
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The Sabbath Sentinel 