These often appointed an old woman of the plantation to teach children too young to work in the fields, to say prayers, repeat a little catechism, and memorize a few hymns.[2] But this looked too much like systematic instruction.

In some States it was regarded as productive of evils destructive to southern society and was, therefore, discouraged or prohibited.[3] To local associations organized by kindly slaveholders there was less opposition because the chief aim always was to restrain strangers and undesirable persons from coming South to incite the Negroes to servile insurrection.

Two good examples of these local organizations were the ones found in Liberty and McIntosh counties, Georgia.

The constitutions of these bodies provided that the instruction should be altogether oral, embracing the general principles of the Christian religion as understood by orthodox Christians.[4] [Footnote 1: This statement is based on the testimonies of ex-slaves.] [Footnote 2: Jones, _Religious Instruction_, pp.

114, 117.] [Footnote 3: While the laws in certain places were not so drastic as to prohibit religious assemblies, the same was effected by patrols and mobs.] [Footnote 4: The Constitution of the Liberty County Association for the Religious Instruction of Negroes, Article IV.] Directing their efforts thereafter toward mere verbal teaching, religious workers depended upon the memory of the slave to retain sufficient of the truths and principles expounded to effect his conversion.