180-Year-Old ‘Holy Grail’ Note, Long Feared Lost, Discovered Pristine in Cardboard Box

Historic Anti-Slavery Scroll Unearthed in Church Archive
A long-lost 1847 anti-slavery document, signed by 116 New England Baptist ministers, has been discovered in the archives of the American Baptist Churches of Massachusetts. Volunteer historian Jennifer Cromack stumbled upon the 5-foot parchment, titled “A Resolution and Protest Against Slavery,” while sifting through boxes of 18th- and 19th-century journals.

Jennifer Cromack with the rediscovered scroll (Credit: Daily Mail)

Believed lost after decades of fruitless searches at Harvard and Brown universities, the scroll resurfaced in pristine condition. The last known record was a 1902 copy in a history book. “I was amazed and excited,” Cromack said. Reverend Diane Badger, overseeing the archive, called it the “Holy Grail” of Baptist abolitionist documents, offering a window into the moral awakening of Northern clergy.

A Prelude to Civil War
Penned 14 years before the Civil War, the declaration reflects growing unease over slavery. “We can no longer be silent,” it states, condemning slavery as an “outrage upon the rights and happiness of our fellow men.” Signatories included prominent figures like Nathaniel Colver of Boston’s Tremont Temple, an early integrated church, and Baron Stow, a member of the state’s anti-slavery society.

Rev. Diane Badger examines the document (Credit: Daily Mail)

At the time, many Northerners viewed slavery as a “Southern problem,” explains scholar Deborah Bingham Van Broekhoven. Northern Baptists initially hesitated to speak out against it, fearing backlash over states’ rights. However, the 1847 declaration marked a bold shift: clergy denounced the “growing disposition to justify, extend and perpetuate” slavery, urging reform.

A Church Divided
The discovery sheds light on the 1845 schism between Northern and Southern Baptists, triggered by a ban on slave-owning missionaries. Southern Baptists formed their own convention, now the largest Protestant denomination in the U.S., while Northern Baptists became the American Baptist Churches USA.

The document bears 1847 signatures of ministers (Credit: Daily Mail)

Legacy of Justice
Reverend Mary Day Hamel notes the scroll ignited a legacy of activism: “Baptists in Massachusetts stood for justice—a heritage we embrace today.” Reverend Kenneth Young of Calvary Baptist Church, founded by freed slaves, praised the signers’ courage: “[They] fought for those who couldn’t fight against racism.”

Badger is now digitizing the scroll to share with 230 churches and researching why some clergy abstained. The document, remarkably undamaged, will be preserved for future generations.

Cromack and Badger with the historic scroll (Credit: Daily Mail)

This rediscovery not only bridges past and present but reaffirms the enduring fight for equality in America.