American Missionaries In The Late Qing Dynasty China-us Relations, The Role Of Research (1830-1860),

In modern China, Western missionaries with evangelistic missions stepped into China. Particularly among them, the American missionaries, in the specific influence of the carnal world, stepped into the China Empire successively since1830s.Since they were Americans who were the most familiar with Chinese language and Chinese culture, many of them involved in the Sino-American politics in the late Qing Dynasty, which greatly influenced the beginning and development of Sino-American relationship. To China, as the main carrier between Chinese and Western culture, the American missionaries have helped the modern China for its social and political refonnation. To the United States of America, the American missionaries also played vital roles in America's policy to China, such as signing unequal Sino-American treaties and the initiating of the Sino-American diplomacy. However, a large number of American missionaries inevitably became the carrier of cultural transmission when preaching, which contributed a lot for the progress of Chinese society at that time. As carrier of cultural transmission, they promoted "the introduction of western learning to the east" and "the introduction of the eastern learning to the west", strengthened American's understanding of China, the understanding between the two nations, and the Sino-American cultural exchange. Therefore, the study of the role that American missionaries played in the Sino-American relationship in the Late Qing Dynasty is of great significance and value.The first introduction of this thesis illustrates the research findings of the author about American missionaries to China and the Sino-American relationship in the Late Qing Dynasty besides the significance and academic value of this thesis.The second chapter introduces the background information and their status of the American missionaries to China in 1830s. It mainly discusses issues such as the religious causation for American missionaries to China, the impact of the British overseas missionary movement to America, the combinat ion of the early Sino-America trade and missionary movement; the biggest political obstacles of their evangelistic movement is that the Qing government stopped all foreign contacts and prohibited all evangelistic activities besides language and cultural barriers.The third chapter moves on with the American missionaries involvement in the political activities of Sino-U.S. relations. It mainly focuses on the relationship between the American missionaries and the opium trade, the American missionaries and the Opium War, the American missionaries' direct participation on the signing of the Sino-LJS diplomatic treaty to further analyze the function that the American missionary played on the signing of the Sino-US Treaty. Moreover, the American missionaries also promoted the beginning of the Sino-US diplomatic relations, opening a new chapter in the Sino-US relations.The fourth chapter illustrates the relationship between the American missionaries and the Sino-U.S. cultural exchange activities. The American missionaries to China have made great contributions to the Chinese society especially in the area of education, publication printing and medical service etc..The fifth chapter explains the impact that the American missionaries made to the two countries. For the United States, they played the role of a bridge for the Americans' understanding of China and they affected the America's policy to China. For China, they helped the Chinese to have a better understanding of the American people and renewed the Chinese people's mind to open their eyes to see the outside world, which greatly promoted the progress the Chinese modern history.In conclusion, objective and fair analysis about the American missionaries to China is provided.This thesis attempts to analyze the reason and the historic impact of the American missionaries made through the illustration of various evangelistic and political activities that they involved in 19^th century. It concludes that the American missionaries are the planner and participant of the establishment of the Sino-U.S. relationship, which greatly affected America's policy to China and vice verse. All in all, they played vital role in the Sino-U.S. relationship.