Archival Sources on Missionaries in China

The Christian missionaries in China were articulate, literate people who left meticulous records of their activities, both for their own use and for the perusal of mission patrons back home. Individual churches and ecumenical missionary organizations also printed numerous guidebooks, yearbooks, and newsletters to facilitate the exchange of information between Westerners working in China. Finally, despite their cultural biases, the missionaries were keen observers of Chinese society, commenting on everything from government structure to children's games. This wealth of historical information on missionary life and on late imperial China in general is surely one of the enduring legacies of the missionary enterprise.