Xerox University Microfilms 300 North Zeeb Road Ann Arbor, Michigan 48106 75-21,197
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
INFORMATION TO USERS This material was produced from a microfilm copy ofM e original document. While the most advanced technological means to photograph and reproduce this document have been used, the quality is heavily dependent upon the quality of the original submitted. The following explanation of techniques is provided to help you understand markings or patterns which may appear on this reproduction. 1.The sign or "target" for pages apparently lacking from the document photographed is "Missing Page(s)". If it was possible to obtain the missing page(s) or section, they are spliced into the film along with adjacent pages. This may have necessitated cutting thru an image and duplicating adjacent pages to insure you complete continuity. 2. When an image on the film is obliterated with a large round black mark, it is an indication that the photographer suspected that the copy may have moved during exposure and thus cause a blurred image. You will find a good image of the page in the adjacent frame. 3. When a map, drawing or chart, etc., was part of the material being photographed the photographer followed a definite method in "sectioning" the material. It is customary to begin photoing at the upper left hand corner of a large sheet and to continue photoing from left to right in equal sections with a small overlap. If necessary, sectioning is continued again — beginning below the first row and continuing on until complete. 4. The majority of users indicate that the textual content is of greatest value, however, a somewhat higher quality reproduction could be made from "photographs" if essential to the understanding of the dissertation. Silver prints of "photographs ' may be ordered at additional charge by writing the Order Department, giving the catalog number, title, author and specific pages you wish reproduced. 5. PLEASE NOTE: Some pages may have indistinct print. Filmed as received. Xerox University Microfilms 300 North Zeeb Road Ann Arbor, Michigan 48106 75-21,197 SPALDING, Arminta S cott, 1921- CYRUS KINGSBURY: MISSIONARY TO THE CHOCTAWS. The University of Oklahoma, Ph.D., 1975 History of Science Xerox University Microfilms, Ann Arbor, Michigan48106 Copyright by Arminta Scott Spalding © 1975 THIS DISSERTATION HAS BEEN MICROFILMED EXACTLY AS RECEIVED. THE UNIVERSITY OF OKLAHOMA GRADUATE COLLEGE CYRUS KINGSBURY; MISSIONARY TO THE CHOCTAWS A DISSERTATION SUBMITTED TO THE GRADUATE FACULTY in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY BY ARMINTA SCOTT SPALDING Norman, Oklahoma 1974 CYRUS KINGSBURY: MISSIONARY TO THE CHOCTAWS APPROVED BY ___ — --- w ^ (I — - ocf. '.-TTtro^ D c j : . --- _______________________ DISSERTATION COMMITTEE PREFACE This is the story of the impact of Cyrus Kingsbury and the Choctaw Mission schools on the Choctaw Indians. Seeds sown by dedicated missionaries were nourished in the minds of the Choctaw people and matured into a harvest of educated leaders and citizens. The principles learned in these schools became the fundamental components of the social, political and economic institutions of the Choctaw Nation and the State of Oklahoma. Today, Native Americans comprise more than two hundred fifty tribes--each with its oim language, religion, customs and goals. Some desire to remain independent nations separated from the society around them and live by their "old ways." Others seek out the best from the "two worlds” and send their young people to the universities and cities to gain skills and knowledge which they take back to their reservations and people- Still others join the mainstream of a competitive and dominant society through education and training without sacrificing their their Indianness. The Five Civilized Tribes chose the latter path. I first became interested in the Choctaws while writing a seminar paper in Western history under Dr. James Nichols at Stephen F. Austin State University. My subject was the Natchez Trace, a trail running through Choctaw country in Mississippi. My interest in iii this area culminated into a master's thesis, "The Natchez Trace Parkway." The more I learned about these extraordinary people and their quest for knowledge, the more I realized the important role played by the missionaries and teachers in guiding them into the fulfillment of their goal of coping with an Anglo-American dominated society. The story can best be summed up in the life of Cyrus Kingsbury, the "Father of the Choctaw Missions." He was the first missionary to answer the Choctaws' plea for education and knowledge of the "Good Book" in Mississippi in 1818. He removed with them to Indian Territory and served them until his death in 1870 which ended fifty-two years of selfless service. At this point in time when much is written and said accusing missionaries and Christianity of contributing to the abuses suffered by the Native Americans through their relation with the government and the dominant society, I feel this story needs to be told. Cyrus Kingsbury and the missionaries of the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions came to the Choctaws at their invitation at a time when their culture was fading. They devoted their lives, tirelessly and sacrifi- cially, under extreme hardships and with no personal gain to them selves. The missionaries were motivated by only one objective--what they believed to be the ultimate good and welfare of the Choctaw people. This study is an attempt to show that they did not destroy and rob the Choctaws of their cultural heritage and values, but instead, enhanced and enriched their lives. For the sake of understanding, it is necessary to define a few terms used throughout this study, such as "civilization" or "civilized," iv "progress," "heathen" and "Christianity." Today, one often hears a Native American say that his ancestors had Christianity long before the appearance of the Christian white-man on this continent. For the purpose of this work, "Christian" is a term used to denote one who believes in Jesus Christ. In this context, Native Americans did not have "Christian ity" although they had a belief in a Supreme Being. Which brings us to the term "heathen," which was used by early 18th and 19th century Christians to describe non-believers or non-Christians in the same manner that Gentile signifies non-Jewish. "Civilized," "Civilization" and "Progress" were terms used by government leaders for the want of better terms to indicate a goal and a state of progression to acceptance of the economic, cultural and moral standards and customs of the dominant society. This is not to say that a minority culture should be "forced" to submit to the larger one and that in doing so, it would be necessarily an improvement, but these definitions are an attempt to explain terms as used i the milieu of this study. No term or word used in this study is meant to be degrading or demeaning to the values held sacred to Native American people--either directly or by inference. My search for materials led me to Harvard University where I found an abundance of primary sources, letters of the missionaries of the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions. I found hun dreds of letters, reports and manuscripts written by Cyrus Kingsbury and other missionaries and teachers to the American Board. Here was the history of the Choctaw Missions from the "felling of the first tree" in August, 1818 to the final separation of the missionaries from the A.B.C.F.M. in July of 1859. Letters from Kingsbury disclosed insights V on the nature of the Choctaws and the relationship of the United States government with them, and revealed the true character of Kingsbury--his "unfeigned love" and concern for the Choctaws and their welfare. Fur thermore, the manuscripts contained definitive accounts of the building and operations of the missions schools, the curriculum and all phases of the work. I am particularly grateful to Carolyn E. Jakeman, Assistant Librarian for Reference for Houghton Library of Harvard University, for assisting me in collecting this rich primary source from which the bulk of this work is derived. My appreciation for the material relating to the study of Cyrus Kingsbury and the Choctaw Missions after their separation from the A.B.C.F.M. until Kingsbury's death (1859-1870) goes to the Presbyterian Historical Society, Philadelphia, Gerald W. Gillette, Research Historian and Frederick Scholom, Records Manager; the Historical Foundation of the Presbyterian and Reformed Churches, Montrent, North Carolina, Mrs. M, N. Lane Librarian, and Microcopy from the Presbyterian Historical Society at Tulsa University, Sue Aikens, Librarian. My special appreciation to Mrs. Lane for researching and microfilming extra data pertaining to Kingsbury and the missions from the Foundation. Before leaving Philadelphia, I visited the American Philosophical Society Library where Murphy D. Smith, Assistant Librarian, pointed me to a few select books and manuscripts on the Choctaw Indians. Washington, D.C., proved to be another area rich in source materials. There I spent many hours and days reading microfilm copy of Letters to and from the Secretary of War to the Choctaw Missions. My thanks go to Mr. Kvasnicka and to Milton Ream, a former classmate in vi the doctoral program at the University of Oklahoma, who went "beyond the call of duty" in assisting me. Other libraries in Washington con taining interesting materials were the Library of Congress Manuscript Division, the Indian Office Library of the United States Department of Interior and the National Anthropological Archives of the Smithsonian Institution, where Mrs. Margeret C. Blaker, Archivist, directed me to the Swanton Manuscripts--a valuable aid in writing the second chapter on legends and customs of the Choctaws. I am grateful to Congressman Tom Steed for providing me access to the government archives. Next in value as primary source material were the Sue McBeth Papers in the Indian Archives of the Oklahoma Historical Society, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, where Mrs.