The Heathen School The rise and fall of an American school designed to civilize “heathen youth” in the early years of the 19th century. by John Demos Review by Clyde A. Milner II I consider John Demos a superbly gifted scholar and writer. So, as he settles into his early years of retirement from the academy, the appearance of this finely crafted, fascinating book can be a reason for celebration. Demos tells us how the story of a mission school in a small New England town connects to global events and major concepts of its era. At its core are the three “r’s” – race, religion, and romance. For those who know that “local” history can have great significance, this book demonstrates the power of historical narrative to illuminate ideas and issues that shaped the American past. This tale is filled with surprises. To begin, how did Henry Obookiah, a Hawaiian seaman, appear at the gates of Yale College in 1809? As Demos explains, “Obookiah ranked as the most famous Hawaiian emigrant of his time, but there were others.” The China Trade that stretched across the Pacific and indeed, around the globe explains how Obookiah and his fellow native Hawaiians came to the nascent United States. Demos tracks these exotic sailors back to their villages on their home islands and then explains the troubling changes brought by American and European newcomers. Obookiah wanted to gain learning, but Yale could not accommodate his wish. Eventually, his desire became a key reason for the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions to establish a school in Cornwall, Connecticut. It opened in 1817 and at the start of its second year, the Foreign Mission School (termed the Heathen School by locals) enrolled nearly twenty students, not just from Hawaii but also from China, Malay, Timor, and even a German Jew. Two scholars from Bengal, India had departed before the second year commenced. Greater drama came to the Heathen School and to the town of Cornwall with the arrival in the early 1820s of Cherokee students from the southeast. These were younger men than the first cohort of mostly Pacific Islanders. The Cherokees had been raised by powerful and prosperous families. Two of them, John Ridge and Elias Boudinot, later became prominent leaders of the treaty faction of Cherokees who accepted the government program of removal to the Indian Territory. During their educational sojourn in Connecticut, each fell in love with young local women who they eventually married. These mixed-race unions created a fire-storm of attention and led to the demise of the Heathen School. The fates of the Hawaiian and Cherokee students when they returned to their homelands provide important insights about efforts to culturally transform individuals. Great tragedies ensue, especially for John Ridge and Elias Boudinot. These larger historical lessons that John Demos provides make for absorbing reading. ABOUT THE REVIEWER Clyde A. Milner II is professor of history and director of the Heritage Studies Ph.D. Program at Arkansas State University. His most recent book, As Big as the West: The Pioneer Life of Granville Stuart was co-written with his wife, Carol O’Connor, and published by Oxford University Press. It was a featured selection of the History Book Club. Currently Trending...
Posted on: Thu, 20 Mar 2014 15:46:51 +0000
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