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“Come into the Habits of Civilized Life:” Nineteenth Century Catholic and Protestant Missionaries in Upper Michigan

Seelye, James E., Jr.

Abstract Details

2010, Doctor of Philosophy, University of Toledo, History.
This dissertation is, in part, a study of the missionary mind-set. I study three missionaries of different denominations, Frederic Baraga, Abel Bingham, and John Pitezel, who worked with the Ojibwa of Upper Michigan during the Nineteenth Century. I am interested in what they said their goals as missionaries were – just why did they conduct missionary work? What drove these men to spend time as missionaries? Furthermore, how much did they matter? What impact and what ongoing influence did they ultimately have upon the Ojibwa of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula? It is sometimes believed that missionaries wished to save Native Americans from their own darkness by transforming them into whites culturally and spiritually. Others felt that they needed to be saved from white influences. Moreover, some missionaries felt that Native Americans had to be saved not only from paganism, but from other Christian denominations. This was particularly true in encounters between Catholics and Protestants, and this fact will become clear as you read on. While Protestants were sometimes willing to work with each other – Bingham and Pitezel preached together on occasion – Protestants and Catholics generally loathed and distrusted one another. I will also analyze various ways missionaries differed in their theology. The final piece of the puzzle concerns missionary hagiography. Most writings about missionaries glorify missionaries while they vilify Native Americans. The reality of the situation was far more complex than this simple dichotomy allows. Only by carefully examining the sources and creating a balanced narrative can we hope to fully understand the relationships between Native Americans and missionaries.
Alfred Cave (Committee Chair)
Edmund Danziger (Committee Member)
Cynthia Ingham (Committee Member)
Ronald Lora (Committee Member)

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Seelye, Jr., J. E. (2010). “Come into the Habits of Civilized Life:” Nineteenth Century Catholic and Protestant Missionaries in Upper Michigan [Doctoral dissertation, University of Toledo]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=toledo1271078733

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Seelye, Jr., James. “Come into the Habits of Civilized Life:” Nineteenth Century Catholic and Protestant Missionaries in Upper Michigan. 2010. University of Toledo, Doctoral dissertation. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=toledo1271078733.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Seelye, Jr., James. "“Come into the Habits of Civilized Life:” Nineteenth Century Catholic and Protestant Missionaries in Upper Michigan." Doctoral dissertation, University of Toledo, 2010. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=toledo1271078733

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)