The American Missionary

In Short

This volume serves as the August 1881 edition of the official monthly organ of the American Missionary Association. It captures the organization’s multifaceted mission to foster Christian education among the Freedmen of the South, Chinese immigrants in the West, and indigenous populations. Through a mix of field reports, financial ledgers, and moral instruction, the publication documents the era’s intersection of evangelical zeal, educational expansion, and the ongoing social reconfiguration of the United States. It remains a significant historical testament to the structural philanthropic efforts of the Reconstruction and post-Reconstruction periods.

The Story

The narrative begins with a logistical overview of the Mendi Mission on the West Coast of Africa, detailing the difficult voyage of missionaries and the subsequent inspection of their neglected mission house. From this international frontier, the focus shifts rapidly to the domestic landscape of the American South. Secretaries and educators describe the establishment of various institutions, such as Atlanta University, Talladega College, and the Tillotson Institute in Austin, Texas. These reports emphasize the physical and moral construction of "School Cities," where the goal is the intellectual and spiritual elevation of the colored race.

The story progresses through a series of anniversaries and commencement exercises, which function as theatrical demonstrations of progress. Educators describe how former slaves, once forbidden from learning to read, now excel in Latin, algebra, and composition. The argument is made that these schools do not merely teach rote subjects but instill a "true manhood and womanhood" that encourages home-building and economic stability. By documenting the success of these students, the publication attempts to persuade Northern donors that their financial investments are yielding significant social dividends.

The arc expands to include the "Chinese" mission work in California, highlighting the conversion of immigrants and the subsequent cultural friction they face, such as when one convert is scolded by his father in China for refusing to worship ancestors. The middle of the volume is occupied by administrative concerns: the laying of cornerstones for new halls, the plea for more teachers, and the constant, pressing need for funds.

As the volume draws toward its conclusion, the tone shifts toward the domestic and the pedagogical. A short story, "Gracie’s Mistake," serves as a moral fable for children, depicting a young girl who discovers that racial prejudice is a vanity that vanishes in the face of shared human suffering. The final pages shift into the practical: itemized lists of financial receipts from every state, ranging from small Sunday school donations to substantial legacies from wealthy estates. The text concludes by reaffirming its role as the primary vehicle for communication between the Association and its constituency, appealing for more subscribers and advertisers to ensure the continued growth of the "divinely planned enterprise" of home and foreign missions.

How It Unfolds

The overseas frontier The volume opens with a travelogue describing the Mendi Mission, detailing the physical trials of the journey and the dilapidated state of the mission station. The authors contrast the beauty of the Lion Mountains with the harsh realities of tropical missionary life and the spiritual depression found at the site.

The educational transformation The narrative shifts to the American South, where educators provide progress reports on colleges and normal schools. These sections recount graduation exercises as proof that students, despite their backgrounds, are demonstrating mastery over academic curricula and moral discipline.

The call for material support The account transitions into a series of appeals, featuring speeches from the laying of cornerstones and personal anecdotes about students’ summer teaching work. These reports serve to validate the Association’s expenditures and solicit further financial contributions from Northern donors.

The western mission The perspective widens to include the challenges faced by Chinese converts in California. This section highlights the personal struggles of individuals balancing their newfound faith with the demands of their families and traditional customs.

The moral instruction The final movement includes a didactic children's story intended to instill racial tolerance in the younger generation. It functions as a bridge between the high-minded rhetoric of the missionaries and the daily lives of their supporters.

The accounting of resources The volume concludes with extensive, granular data: lists of receipts, the constitution of the association, and statistical summaries of the schools, churches, and personnel currently in the field. This serves as a transparent fiscal report for the organization’s stakeholders.

The People

Rev. H. M. Ladd acts as the primary observer in Africa, bringing an outsider's eye to the decay and potential of the Mendi Mission. He is earnest and observant, balancing the beauty of the landscape with the stark reality of the mission's "depressed" spiritual and physical state. Secretary Strieby represents the administrative heart of the organization, providing the philosophical justification for why Northern missionaries must work in the South. He is articulate, confident, and focused on the long-term goal of fostering independent, Christian homes.

Educators like Horace Bumstead and the staff at Talladega College are the central catalysts of change, acting as mentors to the students. They are portrayed as dedicated, slightly paternalistic figures who measure success by how well their pupils can read, write, and eventually teach others. Lee Pak Yuen emerges as a striking individual voice, providing a firsthand account of the tension between his Chinese heritage and his new Christian identity. Finally, there is the fictionalized character of Gracie, who represents the reader’s child—someone whose initial prejudices are dismantled through a sudden, humbling encounter with pain, suggesting that the reader, too, must undergo a change of heart regarding race.

In Its Own Voice

Describing the realities of his arrival in Africa, the missionary author notes the contrast between his expectations and the physical reality of the site:

The fine property of the mission had evidently suffered in many ways from neglect. All the buildings stood in need of repairs, and a large portion of the grounds, including the little cemetery where Barnabas Root is buried, was overgrown with bush.

Regarding the intellectual progress of students in the South, an educator emphasizes that the work is not merely academic but character-driven:

I think our visiting friend will be struck with the simple straightforward way in which our scholars express themselves, with the extremely limited amount of what is sometimes called “gush,” and with the clear revelation which will be made to him that before, behind, around, and underneath everything else, the development of a thoroughly Christian character, and of a true manhood and womanhood, is the all-absorbing purpose of our work.

What It's Really About

At its core, this book is about the project of moral and social reconstruction. It operates on the belief that Christian education is the most effective tool for "elevating" marginalized populations, whether they are the formerly enslaved, displaced indigenous groups, or immigrant laborers. The text grapples with the question of how to integrate these groups into a Protestant, American middle-class framework. It is an argument for systemic philanthropy, suggesting that the "redemption" of these people is a duty that links the North, the South, and the global mission field in a singular, divinely sanctioned effort. Beneath the reports and the ledgers lies a profound anxiety about the speed of social change and the necessity of firm, religious guidance in managing that transition.

Why Read It Today

This book is a fascinating, if challenging, artifact for anyone interested in the history of American religion, education, or the Reconstruction era. Readers who enjoy primary source documents will find it deeply rewarding, as it provides a window into the specific language, values, and preoccupations of the 1880s. It is not a casual narrative; it is a dense, administrative, and occasionally repetitive record that demands patience.

Modern readers may find the period attitudes—particularly the paternalistic tone regarding the "races" under the Association’s care—difficult to reconcile with contemporary sensibilities. However, the book does not shy away from these viewpoints; rather, it offers a transparent view of the era’s prevailing ideologies. You will likely walk away with a lingering impression of the sheer scale of the 19th-century missionary enterprise. The descriptions of individual student successes, the struggles of early missionaries in Africa, and the meticulous listing of donations from small towns across the North bring the mid-Victorian era to life in a way that modern historical summaries often miss. It is a portrait of a generation that believed firmly in the power of the printed page and the schoolhouse to change the world.