. ▁▁ 1 8 th ▁century ▁During ▁the ▁Great ▁Aw ak ening ▁of ▁the ▁late ▁eigh teenth ▁century , ▁Method ist ▁and ▁Bapt ist ▁pre ach ers ▁tou red ▁in ▁the ▁South , ▁trying ▁to ▁persu ade ▁plan ters ▁to ▁man um it ▁their ▁slaves ▁on ▁the ▁basis ▁of ▁equality ▁in ▁God ' s ▁eyes . ▁They ▁also ▁accepted ▁slaves ▁as ▁members ▁and ▁pre ach ers ▁of ▁new ▁chap els ▁and ▁churches . ▁The ▁first ▁black ▁churches ▁( all ▁Bapt ist ) ▁in ▁what ▁became ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁were ▁founded ▁by ▁slaves ▁and ▁free ▁black s ▁in ▁A iken ▁County , ▁South ▁Carolina ▁in ▁ 1 7 7 3 , ▁Petersburg , ▁Virginia ▁in ▁ 1 7 7 4 , ▁and ▁Sav ann ah , ▁Georgia ▁in ▁ 1 7 7 8 , ▁before ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁the ▁Revolution ary ▁War . ▁ ▁S la very ▁was ▁officially ▁san ction ed ▁in ▁ 1 7 7 6 ▁by ▁the ▁Philadelphia ▁Year ly ▁Me eting . ▁ ▁East ▁Indian ▁slaves ▁In ▁the ▁early ▁ 2 1 st ▁century , ▁new ▁research ▁has ▁revealed ▁that ▁small ▁numbers ▁of ▁East ▁Indians ▁were ▁brought ▁to ▁the ▁colon ies ▁as ▁ens la ved ▁labor ers , ▁during ▁the ▁period ▁when ▁both ▁India ▁and ▁the ▁colon ies ▁were ▁under ▁British ▁control . ▁As ▁an ▁example , ▁an ▁ad ▁in ▁the ▁Virginia ▁Gazette ▁of ▁Aug . ▁ 4 , ▁ 1 7 6 8 , ▁describes ▁one ▁young ▁" E ast ▁Indian " ▁as ▁" a ▁well ▁made ▁fellow ,