In the early 1740’s, the period of spiritual awakening, also known as the great awakening, gave birth to the genre of Negro Spirituals and Hymns.
These songs and hymns were used as a way for black people to embrace, celebrate and practice their form of religion separate to the “white man’s” christianity.
These songs were often sung in places called clandestine churches which offered solace to black religious people due to the fact that they couldn’t practice in public.