▁as ▁another ▁den om ination ▁in ▁New ▁York ▁City . ▁ ▁Early ▁Bapt ist ▁con greg ations ▁were ▁formed ▁by ▁slaves ▁and ▁free ▁African ▁Americans ▁in ▁South ▁Carolina ▁and ▁Virginia . ▁Es pecially ▁in ▁the ▁Bapt ist ▁Church , ▁African ▁Americans ▁were ▁wel com ed ▁as ▁members ▁and ▁as ▁pre ach ers . ▁By ▁the ▁early ▁ 1 9 th ▁century , ▁independent ▁African - American ▁con greg ations ▁number ed ▁in ▁the ▁several ▁hundreds ▁in ▁some ▁cities ▁of ▁the ▁South , ▁such ▁as ▁Char l eston , ▁South ▁Carolina , ▁and ▁Richmond ▁and ▁Petersburg , ▁Virginia . ▁With ▁the ▁growth ▁in ▁con greg ations ▁and ▁churches , ▁Bapt ist ▁associations ▁formed ▁in ▁Virginia , ▁for ▁instance , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁Kentucky ▁and ▁other ▁states . ▁ ▁The ▁rev ival ▁also ▁inspired ▁slaves ▁to ▁demand ▁freedom . ▁In ▁ 1 8 0 0 , ▁out ▁of ▁African - American ▁rev ival ▁meet ings ▁in ▁Virginia , ▁a ▁plan ▁for ▁slave ▁re bell ion ▁was ▁de vised ▁by ▁Gabriel ▁Pro s ser , ▁although ▁the ▁re bell ion ▁was ▁discovered ▁and ▁cr ushed ▁before ▁it ▁started . ▁Despite ▁white ▁attempts ▁to ▁control ▁independent ▁African - American ▁con greg ations , ▁especially ▁after ▁the ▁Nat ▁Turner ▁u pr ising ▁of ▁ 1 8 3 1 , ▁a ▁number ▁of ▁African - American ▁con greg ations ▁managed ▁to ▁maintain ▁their ▁separation ▁as ▁independent ▁con greg ations ▁in ▁Bapt ist ▁associations . ▁State ▁legisl atures ▁passed ▁laws ▁requiring ▁them ▁always ▁to ▁have ▁a ▁white ▁man ▁present ▁at