Samuel Seabury (1729–1796) was a significant figure in the early history of the Episcopal Church, serving as its second Presiding Bishop. Born in Connecticut, he was a prominent Loyalist during the American Revolution, which led to his imprisonment by Patriots and a public intellectual dispute with Alexander Hamilton. Following the war, he traveled to Scotland to receive episcopal consecration, as no Anglican bishops were available in America. He became the first Bishop of Connecticut and the first Bishop of Rhode Island, leaving a lasting impact on American liturgical practices.
Life and career
After graduating from Yale, Seabury studied theology under his father and practiced as a rector in several locations, including New Jersey and New York. During the Revolution, he published several pro-British essays under the pseudonym A. W. Farmer. Because he could not swear an oath to the British King, he sought consecration from the Scottish Episcopal Church. He was consecrated in Aberdeen in 1784, an event that influenced the subsequent adoption of certain Scottish liturgical elements within the American church.
Social context
Seabury was raised in a family that practiced slavery, and he himself was a slaveholder during his lifetime. His writings during the revolutionary period expressed views on liberty and oppression that occasionally aligned with his political opponents, even as he maintained his Loyalist stance. Following the conflict, he returned to Connecticut and eventually reconciled with the new American government.