The Apostle of Methodism: Thomas Coke’s Attitudes and Relationships with People of African Descent

This paper explores Thomas Coke’s attitudes and relationships with people of African descent. During his lifetime Coke made eighteen voyages across the Atlantic Ocean, where he visited and preached in communities where Africans were enslaved in America and the West Indies. Utilizing primary sources, Coke’s letters and writings, and secondary sources, the paper will analyze the various experiences, relationships, and attitudes that Coke exhibited about Black people, including his advocacy on behalf of the rights of enslaved persons and the abolitionist cause. The paper makes the case that while Coke had a complex relationship with British colonialism, and worked within racist systems, his actions advanced the liberation of Black people.