The American Missionary

In Short

This volume is a monthly bulletin published by the American Missionary Association in 1879. It functions as a progress report for donors, cataloging the growth of schools and churches for emancipated African Americans, Indigenous populations, and Chinese immigrants, while simultaneously proposing new missions in Central Africa. By blending moral appeals, financial ledgers, and anecdotal field notes, it captures the intense religious fervor and the administrative labor of a sprawling missionary network. Its endurance lies in its utility as a mirror of the period’s attitudes regarding race, education, and global outreach.

The Story

The narrative arc of the volume begins with a grand vision of expansion. The Association receives a substantial financial offer to establish a mission in Central Africa and spends the opening pages detailing the proposed geography, climate, and potential for "civilization." The strategy relies on a specific racial theory of the era: that the climate of the interior is fatal to white men but suitable for the "Freedmen" of America. Consequently, the editors argue that the former slaves represent the ideal vanguard for African missions, bridging the gap between American educational achievements and the perceived spiritual needs of the African interior.

As the text shifts from global ambition to domestic reality, the focus narrows to the Southern United States. Here, the story is one of incremental progress and persistent struggle. Missionaries report on the development of churches and schools—such as those at Hampton, Atlanta, and Tougaloo—and share testimonies of students and teachers navigating a complex social environment. These accounts frequently highlight the tension between the "dark days" of past systemic injustice and the current, fragile hope for reconstruction. The writers frame the education of the formerly enslaved not just as a religious imperative, but as a practical necessity for economic independence.

The scope then widens to include the frontier and the West Coast. The reports describe efforts to establish schools among Indigenous groups in Washington Territory and the protection of Chinese immigrants facing local hostility. Interspersed with these mission reports are pages of meticulous financial accounting—long lists of receipts from donors across the country. These lists provide a rhythmic, concrete grounding for the spiritual goals mentioned earlier, showing exactly which churches and individuals contributed their funds to the enterprise.

The volume concludes by returning to the organizational urgency of its premise. It emphasizes the need for ongoing financial support to prevent the "calamity of debt." The final sections pivot to practical advice for the readership, including instructions on how to bind the monthly issues for reference and how to support the mission by purchasing goods advertised in its pages. The ending is not a resolution of the work, but an ongoing solicitation for the next season of labor. It leaves the reader with a clear sense that the mission is never finished, but rather requires a constant, disciplined renewal of effort, prayer, and, crucially, systematic donation from its base in the North.

How It Unfolds

The proposal of expansion The editors introduce the Arthington Mission, using maps and geographic data to argue for the viability of a mission in Central Africa. They posit that the climate requires a Black missionary force, linking the destiny of African Americans to the evangelization of the African continent.

The Southern field reports Field agents share accounts of revival and education from states like Georgia, Alabama, and Mississippi. They discuss the success of Sunday schools and the challenge of establishing permanent, self-sustaining Congregationalist churches in regions where they were previously unwelcome.

The witness of the students A series of personal testimonies from students and teachers reveals the anxieties and aspirations of those working within the mission schools. These voices emphasize the transformative power of education and the gratitude they feel for the opportunities provided by the Association.

The western and international outreach The narrative extends to mission work with Indigenous groups and the plight of Chinese Christians on the West Coast. These reports highlight the specific social hostilities these groups faced and the missionaries' attempt to offer protection through Christian instruction.

The financial ledger The publication provides a detailed, state-by-state record of receipts, effectively mapping the Association's donor base. This section functions as a bridge between the spiritual mission and the fiscal necessity of keeping the organization solvent.

The People

Rev. John G. Fee appears as a central, symbolic figure of the resistance the missionaries faced. As a former slaveholder’s son who became an abolitionist, his history of being mobbed and banished from Kentucky stands as a testament to the ideological conflict at the heart of the movement. His story is used to measure the progress of the past twenty years.

The "Freedmen" are described collectively, yet the text frequently features individual voices, such as students at Tougaloo, who express their gratitude for schooling. These students are portrayed as both beneficiaries of Northern charity and potential future leaders who are tasked with carrying the "light" of education and religion to others.

The missionaries themselves—such as Rev. J. E. Roy and Rev. A. E. Jackson—act as the bridge between the donor base and the mission field. They are consistently presented as men of "sanctified common sense" who interpret the social and political obstacles they encounter through the lens of their evangelical mission.

Finally, the individual donors mentioned in the ledger act as the quiet, essential participants. By contributing everything from large sums of money to boxes of linens, they are the ones who make the existence of the mission possible. They are characterized by their "integrity and thrift," serving as the backbone of the organization.

In Its Own Voice

"The peculiarity of the climate and the characteristics of the people indicate that the proposed mission should be manned largely by Freedmen from America."

The editors argue that Black missionaries were uniquely suited for the African interior due to both their resilience to the climate and their capacity to model the attainments of the race.

"The lever of education is not applied at the right place; it trains the hand as well as the head."

In a discussion about the utility of education, the author critiques abstract learning and praises schools like Hampton for teaching practical trades that lead to self-sufficiency.

What It's Really About

At its core, this book is about the application of Northern moral and intellectual structures to a fractured, post-war society. The central argument is that the "reconstruction" of the nation depends on a synthesis of evangelical religion and industrial education. The text grapples with the lingering effects of slavery, the moral responsibility of the North, and the question of how to integrate marginalized groups—whether in the South, the West, or Africa—into a modern, Christian civilization. It is an exploration of the belief that spiritual conversion, when coupled with the discipline of schooling and labor, can overcome systemic injustice. The fundamental question is whether a society can be rebuilt through the sustained, organized benevolence of private citizens.

Why Read It Today

Readers interested in the history of institutional religion, the sociology of the post-Civil War South, or the mechanics of 19th-century philanthropy will find this a fascinating, if challenging, document. It captures the specific, often paternalistic, language of the era, offering an unvarnished look at how missionary organizations rationalized their reach and framed their efforts to potential supporters.

The experience of reading it is akin to browsing a period archive; the layout is cluttered with the practical concerns of the day—advertisements for road scrapers and canned fruit sit alongside impassioned pleas for souls. You will feel the immense weight of the administrative machine behind the mission, as well as the genuine, sometimes desperate intensity of the individuals in the field. It is not an easy read in terms of flow, as it is a compendium of reports, ledgers, and notes, but it is an essential one for understanding the mindset of a transformative and volatile period in American history. It reminds us that the past was not just a collection of great events, but a day-to-day struggle to fund, staff, and sustain institutions, all while navigating the deep, often painful, complexities of racial and social change.