American Missionary Association

American Missionary Association
source
Name	American Missionary Association
Abbreviation	AMA
Formation	September 3, 1846
Type	Abolitionist and educational missionary society
Status	Defunct (absorbed into the United Church of Christ Board for Homeland Ministries, 1961)
Purpose	Education, racial equality, civil rights
Headquarters	New York City, New York
Region served	United States, primarily the South

American Missionary Association. The American Missionary Association (AMA) was a prominent Protestant abolitionist society founded in 1846 that became a critical force for Black education and racial justice in the 19th and 20th centuries. Its extensive network of schools, colleges, and advocacy work laid foundational infrastructure for the African American community, directly fueling the intellectual and leadership development central to the modern Civil Rights Movement.

Founding and Early Mission

The AMA was established on September 3, 1846, in Albany, New York, by a coalition of Congregationalist, Presbyterian, and Methodist leaders committed to radical abolitionism. Its formation was a direct response to the refusal of existing missionary boards, like the American Home Missionary Society, to take a firm stand against slavery. The AMA’s constitution explicitly barred slaveholders from membership, making it a uniquely anti-slavery organization. Early efforts included supporting the *Amistad* captives and establishing missions for freedmen and Native Americans. Key early leaders included Lewis Tappan and Simeon S. Jocelyn, who channeled the group’s evangelical fervor into a social justice mission aimed at eradicating slavery and promoting racial equality.

Role in Establishing Black Colleges and Schools

Following the American Civil War, the AMA became the single most important organization in creating educational institutions for newly freed African Americans. It founded and financially supported a network of normal schools, academies, and colleges to train Black teachers, ministers, and professionals. Among its most significant and enduring contributions were the founding of several Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). These include Fisk University (1866) in Nashville, Hampton Institute (1868, though later led by Samuel Chapman Armstrong), Atlanta University (1865, now Clark Atlanta University), Talladega College (1867) in Alabama, and Dillard University (1869, through merger). These institutions provided the higher education denied to Black Americans elsewhere and became incubators for future civil rights leadership.

Involvement in Reconstruction and Freedmen's Education

During the Reconstruction era (1865–1877), the AMA was a primary agent of the Freedmen's Bureau in the field of education. It dispatched hundreds of Northern teachers, often young white women from New England, to the South to establish and staff schools for freedmen. These “Yankee schoolmarms” faced significant hostility, including violence from groups like the Ku Klux Klan, as they worked to combat illiteracy and build community institutions. The AMA founded over 500 common schools and normal schools, emphasizing a curriculum that combined basic literacy, vocational training, and civic education to prepare African Americans for citizenship and economic independence in the face of rising Jim Crow segregation.

Advocacy for Racial Equality and Civil Rights

Beyond education, the AMA was a consistent and vocal advocate for racial equality and civil rights throughout its existence. It published the influential journal The American Missionary, which reported on conditions in the South and argued for political and social equality. The association lobbied for federal anti-lynching legislation, supported challenges to segregation, and funded legal defense efforts. In the 20th century, it provided crucial financial and moral support to key organizations and figures in the burgeoning Civil Rights Movement, including early backing for the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) and the work of activists like Myles Horton at the Highlander Folk School.

Key Figures and Leadership

The AMA’s mission was driven by dedicated leaders and educators. Founding figures included wealthy merchant and abolitionist Lewis Tappan, who provided significant funding and organizational vision. Simeon S. Jocelyn was another pivotal early leader. Among its field agents and educators were individuals like John G. Fee, founder of the interracial Berea College in Kentucky, and Edmund Asa Ware, the first president of Atlanta University. Notable teachers included Charlotte Forten Grimké, one of the first northern African American teachers to instruct freedmen on the Sea Islands of South Carolina. Later, executives like Fred L. Brownlee guided the AMA’s advocacy into the mid-20th century, aligning its work with the modern Civil Rights Movement.

Legacy and Impact on the Civil Rights Movement

The AMA’s legacy is deeply intertwined with the long arc of the struggle for racial justice in America. Its most tangible contribution was the creation of the HBCU system, which produced generations of African American leaders, including W. B. B. Du Bois, a graduate of Education|W. B. B. Du Bois (W. B. B. B. Du Bois|civil rights movement|Civil Rights Movement (e.g., Civil Rights Movement|Civil Rights Movement|civil rights movement|Civil Rights Movement|Civil Rights Movement in the United States|Civil Rights Movement|Civil Rights Movement|Civil Rights Movement|Civil Rights Movement|Civil Rights Movement|Civil Rights Movement|Civil Rights Movement|Civil Rights Movement.

The AMA’s Movement|Civil Rights Movement|Civil Rights Movement. The AMA’s work, the United States|Civil Rights Movement|Civil Rights Movement|Civil Rights Movement|Civil Rights Movement|Civil Rights Movement|Civil rights movement|Civil Rights Movement|American Missionary Association|American Missionary Association|American Civil Rights Movement|civil rights movement|civil rights movement|Civil rights movement|American Missionary Association|American Missionary Association|American Missionary Association (U.S. The AMA|Civil and political rights|American Missionary Association (HBCUs) and political rights|Civil rights movement|Civil Rights Movement|American Missionary Association, 1961|American Missionary Association]