American missionaries followed soldiers and merchants, not the reverse

Evidence

This construction was mediated differently in different spheres. In the late eighteenth century, hundreds of Oriental tales told the story of Easterners who were “incipient democrats” and could be “converted by free expression, honest love, and benevolent works.” In short, Orientals were not irredeemable. The underlying logic of these narratives was that American decency and democracy had the potential to change the world. This tone was also reflected in the work of American missionaries. Unlike English, Dutch, and Spanish missionaries who followed in the footsteps of soldiers, American missionaries were preceded by both soldiers and merchants. Trade and capitalist imperatives were central to US imperialism just as much as they were central to the British Empire. In addition to various religious notions, Shaban argues that missionaries in the nineteenth century took with them the frontier mentality as well as the American notion of “manifest destiny” based on the idea that the United States had a mission to bring civilization to the world. — Deepa Kumar, Islamophobia and the Politics of Empire, 213 (#corroborates, via linked claim)

Categorization

• XREF: connects to: Postwar US empire relied on missionary children and oilmen for regional knowledge; American missionaries followed soldiers and merchants, driven by trade and manifest destiny. — Deepa Kumar, Islamophobia and the Politics of…, 213

Broader Connections

• American missionaries followed soldiers and merchants, driven by trade and manifest destiny. #corroborates (1.00) — Deepa Kumar, Islamophobia and the Politics of Empire, 213