First Missionaries to Hawaii

American Minute ^ | July 7, 2019 | Bill Federer

[Perseverando]

In 1778, British Captain James Cook discovered Hawaii, which he named "The Sandwich Islands" in honor of John Montagu, the 4th Earl of Sandwich -- the acting First Lord of the Admiralty.

Captain Cook was killed on his third visit to Hawaii in 1779.

When Captain Cook's voyages were read in England they raised awareness of new lands and inspired a missionary movement, led by William Carey, who took the Gospel to India in 1793.

The Hawaiian Islands were united by King Kamehameha I in 1810.

In 1819, King Kamehameha I died.

His wife, Kaʻahumanu, and his son, Liholiho (King Kamehameha II), abolished the pagan religion with its kapu rules and human sacrifice.

The Second Great Awakening in America sparked a global missionary movement.

In 1820, the first missionaries arrived in Hawaii from New England on the brig Thaddeus. They were led by Hiram Bingham, and Yale graduate Asa Thurston , and his wife, Lucy.

Hiram Bingham's son, of the same name, attended Yale, then returned to spread Christianity in the Pacific.

He was the first to translate the Bible into the language of the people of the Gilbert Islands.

Hiram Bingham's grandson, of the same name, discovered the Inca city of Machu Pichu in 1908, then became Governor of Connecticut and a U.S. Senator.

Hiram Bingham IV was an American diplomat who helped Jews flee Nazi forces during World War II.

In 1822, Missionaries Hiram Bingham, Asa Thurston , and Elisha Loomis created Hawaii's 12-letter alphabet, then translated the Bible into the Hawaiian Language.

On November 22, 1822, Betsey Stockton, a young African American woman from New Haven, Connecticut, set sail with the second group of missionaries for the for a five-month voyage to Hawaii.

[Perseverando]

Another non-politically correct (factual) American history lesson for today.

[gaijin]

On November 22, 1822, Betsey Stockton, a young African American woman from New Haven, Connecticut, set sail with the second group of missionaries for the for a five-month voyage to Hawaii.

Ah, yes, thank you. SOMEONE BLACK went to Hawaii, how interesting.

[Hieronymus]

That Christianity does not belong to one race or nation is an important point to drive home—and driving it home in a concrete manner requires having people from different races and nations involved in evangelization. (spell check is telling me that at least one of English or spell check is evil—if evangelize is a properly spelt [spell check just went off again and Webster’s says that spell check can go to he!! on that one] word, I will stick with what makes sense to me).

[Perseverando]

Ah, yes, thank you. SOMEONE BLACK went to Hawaii, how interesting.

Yes, I think it is quite interesting considering it was 1822, she was a young single woman, and considering the status of BLACK people in general 200 years ago. And if you were to read a little more about her accomplishments:

"Commissioned by the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions, Betsey Stockton was the first single American woman sent overseas as a missionary.

An edition of Betsey Stockton's Hawaiian diary was published in the Christian Advocate, 1824 and 1825, by Dr. Reverend Dr. Ashbel Green, President of Princeton University."

[PGR88]

Hiram Bingham's son, of the same name, attended Yale, then returned to spread Christianity in the Pacific.

Yale is just as fervent today, but only in promoting their new post-modern, paganist, statist-mother-gaia-worshipping religion.

[Jemian]

Those missionaries are all heroes.

[Perseverando]

Those missionaries are all heroes.

Yes they are. Working for the Lord doesn't pay too well, but it has a great retirement plan.

[DEPcom]

That was a great History lesson....

[Phlap]

There were no Hawaiian words for clothing because no clothing was needed. Nothing has changed.

[Perseverando]

Yes it was. I really enjoy Bill Federer’s American Minute daily history lessons and the graphics he incorporates with them. I signed up for his daily emails long ago, He’s got some great reference material on his site.

Here is the link for his daily archive list: http://www.amerisearch.net/ (He tends to run a day or so behind at times.)

[Don Corleone]

The natives got religion but the missionaries got the land!!!

[thirst4truth]

This last January I visited the gravesite of Captain Cook on the big Island in Hawaii. It is in a beautiful cove where all the tourists go to snorkle.

Our boat captain told us of the first visit by Cook, he sailed into the bay to do some repairs on his boat, that week he arrived was the annual meeting of all the Hawaiians from all Islands for a big "shindig". A happy get together, no war, no hostilities toward one another. Cook arrived at this exact date and was amazed how many natives were there, must have been hundreds. They thought Cook was a God arriving at that perfect time of celebration to the gods.

They all made nice and Cook left to continue his exploring without incident. Soon after he left they hit a storm and one of the ships broke a mast and they had to come back to the cove. This time they were not celebrating peace, the Hawaiians were hostile and stole one of Cooks ships. He went after them and was eventually killed when they saw he bled like them when nicked with a sword.

[Don Corleone]

On November 22, 1822, Betsey Stockton, a young African American woman from New Haven, Connecticut, set sail with the second group of missionaries for the for a five-month voyage to Hawaii.

By the time she got there she turned into Julie Andrews and learned to sing.

[Mrs. Don-o]

Thanks for posting this, and please continue with the series. Most interesting!

[Mrs. Don-o]

It would be interesting to explore the details of who go what, and why.

The article noted that the military resented the missionaries' activities, because they suppressed alcoholism and prostitution.

That struck me, because it was the same here in Upper East Tennessee(former Watauga Settlement.) The Morovian missionaries (a Pietist German-speaking group from Central Europe active in East Tennessee and Northwest Georgia in the 18th century and early 19th century) protected the Cherokee's land rights, pressed for their recognition as citizens, and opposed liquor which was a standard means of exploitation on the part of land-speculators. (Conscienceless men like John Sevier plied the Cherokees with alcohol and then pressed them into exploitative arrangements for land and women).

Sevier and Andrew Jackson and other of their ilk won in the end, but it was against the best efforts of the Morovians.

Similarly in 18th century Alta California, as well, the soldiers at the Presidio traded liquor for women --- the California Indians' sisters, wives and daughters sold into concubinage --- and Padre Junipero Serra was so outraged bu it that he literally walked back to Mexico City (1,900 miles on foot) to demand that the government suppress this trafficking carried out by the military.

Like the Morovians in Tennessee and North Georgia, the Franciscans in California were not successful in protecting Indians' rights. But it's not because they didn't try.

[righttackle44]

Nothing makes the delusional more furious than truth.

And what is the truth here?

[chajin]

The Morovian missionaries (a Pietist German-speaking group from Central Europe active in East Tennessee and Northwest Georgia in the 18th century and early 19th century)

I'll buy a vowel :-) you must be referring to the Moravians. Another effect of their ministry was upon John Wesley, in a number of ways enumerated here.

[Mrs. Don-o]

You are correct! You get the correct vowel and a handful of butterscotch discs!

Thanks also for the link. Fascinating history.

[Truthoverpower]

Kamehameha. Never conquered KAUAI. MY ISLAND 🌴 NUALOLO. MILOLII. KALALAU. KOKEE. WAIMEA. LIHUE. KAUAPEA Kauai. NO KA OI !

[fidelis]

The first Catholic priests arrived at Honolulu on 9 July, 1827. They were the Rev. Alexis Bachelot, prefect Apostolic, the Rev. Abraham Armand, and the Rev. Patrick Short. The first two were natives of France, and the third of Ireland. All three were members of the Congregation of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary, called also the Society of Picpus, from the name of the street in Paris in which its mother-house is situated. They had been sent by Pope Leo XII...As soon as the priests began to make converts a fierce persecution was raised against the natives who became Catholics. They were ill-treated, imprisoned, tortured, and forced to go to the Protestant churches, and the priests were banished. Fathers Bachelot and Short were taken to a solitary spot in Lower California, far removed from any human habitation. In 1836 the Rev. Robert Walsh, an Irish priest of the same Congregation, arrived at Honolulu, and through the intervention of the British consul, was enabled to remain on the islands in spite of the ill-will of the Protestant party, which wanted to send him back on the vessel in which he had come. In 1837 Fathers Bachelot and Short returned from California, but religious persecution still continued. In the same year there arrived from France the Rev. Louis Maigret, who afterwards became bishop, and first Vicar Apostolic of the Sandwich Islands. He was not permitted to land, but was obliged to leave the country, together with Father Bachelot. who was in very feeble health. The latter, worn out by labour and trials, died at sea shortly after (5 Dec., 1837). In the year 1839 the French Government put an end to this persecution.

On 9 July the twelfth anniversary of the arrival of the first Catholic priests, the French frigate "Artémise", Captain Laplace, arrived at Honolulu. A few hours after anchoring dispatched one of his officers to present the king the following summary request: (1) that the Catholic religion be declared free; (2) that all Catholics imprisoned on account of their religion be set at liberty; (3) that the government give a suitable site at Honolulu for a Catholic Church; (4) that the king place in the hands of the captain of the "Artémise" the sum of $20,000, as a guarantee of his good-will and peaceful mind, said sum to be restored when the French Government should feel satisfied that the above conditions had been fulfilled. Hostilities were to commence if the king failed to comply within forty-eight hours with the terms of this manifesto. All the conditions were readily accepted, and peace was concluded...

Source: http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/13438a.htm