“A Vast and Beautiful Country”: Ideas of Exile, Racial Hierarchies, and Industrial Education in the Formation of the American Presbyterian Congo Mission (APCM) and the Congo Free State (CFS), 1832-1890

Recent literature has highlighted the close relationship between the American Presbyterian Congo Mission (APCM) and the government of the Belgian Congo. Despite a libel trial in 1909, which saw the APCM face a key Belgian ally in court, historians, such as Ira Dworkin and Simon Mbau, have emphasise...

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Main Author: Reuben Loffman
Format: Article
Language:Portuguese
Published: Coimbra University Press 2024-12-01
Series:Revista de História da Sociedade e da Cultura
Subjects:
Online Access:https://impactum-journals.uc.pt/rhsc/article/view/13857
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author Reuben Loffman
author_facet Reuben Loffman
author_sort Reuben Loffman
collection DOAJ
description Recent literature has highlighted the close relationship between the American Presbyterian Congo Mission (APCM) and the government of the Belgian Congo. Despite a libel trial in 1909, which saw the APCM face a key Belgian ally in court, historians, such as Ira Dworkin and Simon Mbau, have emphasised their co-operation following the dispute. This article adds to literature on the APCM and Belgian imperialism by exploring the beliefs they shared during their formative years and so well before the trial. While there were differences in their approaches to African societies, both saw what they considered “civilization” emanating from a core of white, male elites. Léopold II and the APCM’s allies also wanted to exile those who challenged their privileges at home to the Congo. Finally, the APCM became well placed to facilitate the Belgian regime’s later appetite for industrial education as it was important in many of its missionaries early schooling.
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publisher Coimbra University Press
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series Revista de História da Sociedade e da Cultura
spelling doaj-art-5f8c594fc65f4ab5a6a73264c49dc5692025-08-20T02:31:23ZporCoimbra University PressRevista de História da Sociedade e da Cultura1645-22592183-86152024-12-0124210.14195/1645-2259_24-2_1“A Vast and Beautiful Country”: Ideas of Exile, Racial Hierarchies, and Industrial Education in the Formation of the American Presbyterian Congo Mission (APCM) and the Congo Free State (CFS), 1832-1890Reuben Loffman0Queen Mary University of London, School of History Recent literature has highlighted the close relationship between the American Presbyterian Congo Mission (APCM) and the government of the Belgian Congo. Despite a libel trial in 1909, which saw the APCM face a key Belgian ally in court, historians, such as Ira Dworkin and Simon Mbau, have emphasised their co-operation following the dispute. This article adds to literature on the APCM and Belgian imperialism by exploring the beliefs they shared during their formative years and so well before the trial. While there were differences in their approaches to African societies, both saw what they considered “civilization” emanating from a core of white, male elites. Léopold II and the APCM’s allies also wanted to exile those who challenged their privileges at home to the Congo. Finally, the APCM became well placed to facilitate the Belgian regime’s later appetite for industrial education as it was important in many of its missionaries early schooling. https://impactum-journals.uc.pt/rhsc/article/view/13857Congo Free State (CFS)American Presbyterian Congo Mission (APCM)Belgian ColonialismAfrica
spellingShingle Reuben Loffman
“A Vast and Beautiful Country”: Ideas of Exile, Racial Hierarchies, and Industrial Education in the Formation of the American Presbyterian Congo Mission (APCM) and the Congo Free State (CFS), 1832-1890
Revista de História da Sociedade e da Cultura
Congo Free State (CFS)
American Presbyterian Congo Mission (APCM)
Belgian Colonialism
Africa
title “A Vast and Beautiful Country”: Ideas of Exile, Racial Hierarchies, and Industrial Education in the Formation of the American Presbyterian Congo Mission (APCM) and the Congo Free State (CFS), 1832-1890
title_full “A Vast and Beautiful Country”: Ideas of Exile, Racial Hierarchies, and Industrial Education in the Formation of the American Presbyterian Congo Mission (APCM) and the Congo Free State (CFS), 1832-1890
title_fullStr “A Vast and Beautiful Country”: Ideas of Exile, Racial Hierarchies, and Industrial Education in the Formation of the American Presbyterian Congo Mission (APCM) and the Congo Free State (CFS), 1832-1890
title_full_unstemmed “A Vast and Beautiful Country”: Ideas of Exile, Racial Hierarchies, and Industrial Education in the Formation of the American Presbyterian Congo Mission (APCM) and the Congo Free State (CFS), 1832-1890
title_short “A Vast and Beautiful Country”: Ideas of Exile, Racial Hierarchies, and Industrial Education in the Formation of the American Presbyterian Congo Mission (APCM) and the Congo Free State (CFS), 1832-1890
title_sort a vast and beautiful country ideas of exile racial hierarchies and industrial education in the formation of the american presbyterian congo mission apcm and the congo free state cfs 1832 1890
topic Congo Free State (CFS)
American Presbyterian Congo Mission (APCM)
Belgian Colonialism
Africa
url https://impactum-journals.uc.pt/rhsc/article/view/13857
work_keys_str_mv AT reubenloffman avastandbeautifulcountryideasofexileracialhierarchiesandindustrialeducationintheformationoftheamericanpresbyteriancongomissionapcmandthecongofreestatecfs18321890