# John Berry Meachum

> John Berry Meachum was an American pastor, businessman, educator and founder of the First African Baptist Church in St. Louis, the oldest black church west of the Mississippi River. At a time when it was illegal in the city to teach people of color to read and write, Meachum operated a school in the church's basement. Meachum also circumvented a Missouri state law banning education for black people by creating the Floating Freedom School on a steamboat on the Mississippi River.

*Baptist minister and educator (1789-1854)*

**Canonical URL:** https://fame.am/person/john-berry-meachum

## Identity
- **Profile type:** Religious Figure
- **Category:** Religious Figures
- **Born:** 1789-05-03
- **Died:** 1854-02-19
- **Status:** deceased
- **Gender:** male

## Bio

John Berry Meachum was an American pastor, businessman, educator and founder of the First African Baptist Church in St. Louis, the oldest black church west of the Mississippi River. At a time when it was illegal in the city to teach people of color to read and write, Meachum operated a school in the church's basement. Meachum also circumvented a Missouri state law banning education for black people by creating the Floating Freedom School on a steamboat on the Mississippi River.

## Fame
- **Fame score:** 41.0
- **Momentum:** 3.6

## Sources
- [John Berry Meachum](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Berry_Meachum)
- [جون بيري ميتشوم](https://ar.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D8%AC%D9%88%D9%86_%D8%A8%D9%8A%D8%B1%D9%8A_%D9%85%D9%8A%D8%AA%D8%B4%D9%88%D9%85)
- [Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q22020337)

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