Biography
Early Life
Harriet Ann Cole was born in 1829 in Havre de Grace, Maryland. Her parents were William and Harriet Eskins Cole. They had seven children. Both of her parents had once been slaves, but they had gained their freedom.
Life was hard and dangerous for young Cole. Free Black families in Maryland lived under constant threat. Slave catchers could kidnap them and sell them into slavery at any time. This was a common danger during that era. When Cole was 11, her father died. His death made the family even more vulnerable.
Cole’s mother worried about kidnappers. She arranged jobs for Cole with local families. She wanted to protect her daughter from danger. Sometimes she even had Cole remove her clothes in front of employers. This proved that Harriet had not stolen anything.
In 1842, Cole turned 13. She attended a women’s prayer meeting that year. During the meeting, she felt a powerful spiritual awakening. She described it as the “fire of God” striking her down. This moment began her lifelong commitment to evangelical Christianity.
Religious Faith & Activism
In 1845, Harriet married William Baker. He was an enslaved man. Two years later, the couple grew more afraid. They worried that a slaveholder in Georgia might buy William. So they fled Maryland with their infant daughter. They sought safety in Columbia, Pennsylvania.
The journey was full of danger. Slave catchers chased the family. During one confrontation, they knocked Cole unconscious. Still, the family made it to Columbia. William found work there in the lumber industry.
In 1850, Congress passed the Fugitive Slave Law. This new law brought fresh danger. Slave catchers captured William and took him back to Maryland. Baker refused to give up. She mortgaged their home. She raised money to buy William’s freedom.
In 1872, Baker felt a new calling. She believed God wanted her to preach. At the time, the African Methodist Episcopal Church did not allow women to preach. Her husband and community pushed back against her calling. Baker did not give up. She taught herself to read and write. She wanted to fulfill her mission.
Baker began preaching in Columbia and Lebanon, Pennsylvania. Slowly, people began to accept her calling. In 1889, she reached a major milestone. She received an official appointment as Pastor of St. Paul’s AME Church in Lebanon. Several AME bishops recognized her authority to preach. These bishops included the esteemed John M. Brown and Henry McNeal Turner.
Baker’s husband died in 1892. After his death, she moved to Allentown, Pennsylvania. There, she started the Bethel Mission at 738 North Penn Street. She preached at this mission until she died in 1913. People traveled from as far as New England to hear her.
Harriet Cole Baker’s ministry converted thousands of people to Christianity. Her work built the foundation for the St. James AME Zion Church. This church was built in 1936, years after her death. Her legacy lived on through the church and the many lives she touched during her ministry.
