Read Part One HERE
In this post I will focus on a woman named Julia A.J. Foote. She lived from 1823 - 1901.
Julia was born in Schenectady, New York, to parents who were both former slaves. At the age of ten Julia was sent to work for a farm family, and for just under two years she lived and worked for the Prime family as a domestic servant. It was under their employment that she received an education, despite having to eventually leave the family. Her family moved to Albany, New York, in 1836. This is where Julia first experienced an increased interest and passion for religion, as her family attended the African Methodist Episcopal Church upon arrival.
Around 1841, Julie married George Foot, who worked in Chelsea. They spent a significant amount of time apart as George's job as a sailor required him to travel back and forth from Chelsea to Boston, where she and her husband moved to at that time.Time apart from her husband, gave Julia the space to explore her passion for religion and she sought to preach at the local African Methodist Episcopal church to which she belonged. Her husband was not supportive of her desire to preach, as it was not common for women to be preachers. However, her husband's expostulations did not stop her from pursuing what she believed was God's calling for her to preach. Some time in the late 1840's her husband died and Julia ended up travelling and preaching across the United States.
P.S. I will continue my story on Julia A.J Foote in my next post.
Read Part Twenty HERE
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