American Missionary Association

American Missionary Association
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Name	American Missionary Association
Formation	1846
Founder	Lewis Tappan, Simeon Jocelyn
Extinction	1999
Type	Christian missionary organization
Purpose	Abolitionism, Education, Social justice

American Missionary Association was a Christian organization founded in 1846 by Lewis Tappan and Simeon Jocelyn with the primary goal of promoting abolitionism and providing education to African Americans in the United States. The organization played a significant role in the Underground Railroad, working closely with Harriet Tubman, Frederick Douglass, and other prominent abolitionists such as William Lloyd Garrison and John Brown. The American Missionary Association also collaborated with organizations like the American Anti-Slavery Society and the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA to advance their mission.

● History

The American Missionary Association was established in 1846, during a time of great social and political change in the United States. The organization's founders, Lewis Tappan and Simeon Jocelyn, were both Congregationalist ministers who were deeply committed to the cause of abolitionism. They worked closely with other prominent abolitionists, including William Lloyd Garrison, John Brown, and Harriet Beecher Stowe, to promote their mission. The organization also received support from notable figures such as Ralph Waldo Emerson, Henry David Thoreau, and Walt Whitman. During the American Civil War, the American Missionary Association provided significant support to the Union Army and worked to establish Freedmen's Bureau schools for newly freed African Americans.

● Organization

The American Missionary Association was organized into several departments, each with its own specific mission and goals. The organization's executive committee was responsible for overseeing the overall direction of the organization, while the missionary department was responsible for recruiting and training missionaries to work in the field. The organization also had a strong publishing department, which produced a range of materials, including The American Missionary magazine, which featured articles by notable writers such as Mark Twain and Julia Ward Howe. The American Missionary Association worked closely with other organizations, including the Young Men's Christian Association and the Young Women's Christian Association, to advance their mission.

● Missionary Work

The American Missionary Association's missionary work focused primarily on providing education and social services to African Americans in the United States. The organization established a range of schools and colleges, including Fisk University, Hampton University, and Talladega College, which were designed to provide African Americans with access to quality education. The organization also worked to promote social justice and civil rights, often in collaboration with other organizations such as the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. Notable missionaries, including Ida B. Wells, Booker T. Washington, and W.E.B. Du Bois, played a significant role in advancing the organization's mission.

● Notable Members

The American Missionary Association had a number of notable members, including Lewis Tappan, Simeon Jocelyn, and Joseph Hardy Neesima, who was a Japanese Christian leader. Other notable members included Mabel Ping-Hua Lee, a Chinese American suffragist, and Mary McLeod Bethune, a prominent African American educator and civil rights leader. The organization also worked closely with notable figures such as Martin Luther King Jr., Rosa Parks, and Thurgood Marshall, who were all involved in the Civil Rights Movement. The American Missionary Association's members and collaborators included Langston Hughes, Zora Neale Hurston, and Duke Ellington, who were all prominent figures in the Harlem Renaissance.

● Legacy

The American Missionary Association's legacy is complex and multifaceted. The organization played a significant role in promoting abolitionism and providing education to African Americans in the United States. The organization's work also helped to advance the cause of social justice and civil rights, particularly during the Civil Rights Movement. Today, the organization's legacy can be seen in the work of organizations such as the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA and the American Baptist Churches USA, which continue to promote social justice and human rights. The American Missionary Association's legacy is also reflected in the work of notable institutions, including Fisk University, Hampton University, and Talladega College, which were all established by the organization. The organization's impact can also be seen in the lives of notable individuals, including Martin Luther King Jr., Rosa Parks, and Thurgood Marshall, who were all influenced by the organization's mission and values. Category:Christian missionary organizations