The Effect Of Whitman's Speech On The Westward Quest Of American Presbyterians

I. INTRODUCTION The 19th century was in many ways a heyday for missions. There was zeal spilling over from the camp meetings of the Second Great Awakening, driving excited missionaries from many denominations to seek out positions where they could evangelize the lost. At the same time, there was much interest in the great unknown wilds of the western frontier. Some that answered the call to missions in the West were quite successful and established longstanding churches and missions. Others were less fortunate, falling prey to the turbulent political, religious, and cultural issues which threatened to destroy their high hopes for Christianization of the Native populations. This paper will look at the westward mission quest of American Presbyterians

This oration, by the “Four Wise Men of the West,” as the traveling Natives came to be called, was published and circulated to the mission societies in the East. One of the people who read and was inspired by this speech was a young New School Presbyterian doctor named Marcus Whitman of Rushville, New York. Whitman would answer the call to evangelize the West, a call sent out by the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions (ABCFM). This board was one of the inter-denominational mission boards which was made up of Presbyterian, Congregationalist, and Dutch Reformed members. Rooted in the Second Great Awakening, it was established in 1810 and reflected the unique moment in Protestant history where alliances like this existed under the Plan of Union. ABCFM had mostly devoted themselves to foreign missions, but had also tried mission work with some of the more eastern Native populations (with varied success). Marcus Whitman, along with preacher Henry Harmon Spalding, were approved by the board to head west. Whitman and Spalding brought along their new wives, Narcissa Whitman and Eliza Spalding, the first white women on record to cross the Continental Divide. This small group was encouraged by interviews they had with Nez Perce and Flathead chiefs, believing that this “opportunity for missionary zeal” should be “speedily seized.” After a scouting mission, the ABCFM confirmed that they would found a mission in Oregon. Upon their arrival in the West, it was decided that the Whitmans would form a mission at Waiilatpu in the Walla Walla country and the Spaldings would form theirs in Lapwai. Marcus Whitman quickly formed the first Presbyterian church in the northwest, along with a temperance society. He also swiftly began