Sabbath schools (or Sunday schools) in America made their first appearance shortly after the American Revolution. The first one was probably organized in Hanover County, Virginia, in 1786 by Francis Asbury. The Methodists were the first to adopt the Sabbath school as official policy, encouraging their establishment at or near places of worship in 1790. The early Sabbath schools were largely efforts to give children of poor working-class families a chance to become educated in both basic reading and religion and at the same time to control their perceived misbehavior on the Sabbath. In the 1830s they became a way of evangelizing and educating young children in important Christian truths and principles.
During the decades before the Civil War, many Sabbath school societies were formed. The American Sunday School Union was organized in Philadelphia in 1817. It was followed by several denominational societies. The Massachusetts Sunday School Union (Congregationalists and Baptists) was formed in 1825, the Protestant Episcopal Sunday School Union the following year, and the Methodist Episcopal counterpart the year after. The first national convention of Sunday school workers was held in New York City in 1832.
From the description of Bethesda Methodist Church Sabbath School Teacher's Association minutes, 1840-1842. (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 122503868
