The Religious Instruction of the Negroes in the United States : Martino Fine Books : 9781684224159 : 22 Nov 2019 : 2019 Reprint of 1842 Edition. Charles Colcock Jones' The Religious Instruction of the Negroes in the United States is an dramatic call for the white ministers and slaveowners to attend to the spiritual needs of slaves and free blacks. The book is broken into four parts. The first part is an historical sketch of slavery in the Colonies and the United States, with a focus on missionary and religious efforts directed towards the African slaves. This account goes from 1620 to 1842, going year by year after 1792. Jones closes this first part with a summary of each denomination and each state. The second part treats the "Moral and Religious Condition" of slaves and free blacks, blaming their circumstances for their lack of virtue. Jones especially calls attention to their poverty and lack of education. He describes their ignorance of Christianity, their general lack of characte