The Society for Propagating the Gospel Among the Indians and Others in North America was one of the earliest missionary organizations in colonial America. Here's a historical overview:
Founded: 1787 in Boston, Massachusetts, by a group of New England clergy and laypeople.
Full Name: The Society for Propagating the Gospel Among the Indians and Others in North America.
Purpose: To evangelize and educate Native Americans and other non-Christian populations (later including enslaved and freed African Americans) in British North America.
The Society aimed to spread Christianity among Indigenous peoples through:
Distribution of Bibles and religious tracts.
Support of missionaries.
Funding of schools and educational materials for Indigenous children.
Training Native individuals for ministry and teaching roles.
It was Protestant in orientation, mainly associated with Congregationalist and Presbyterian churches, reflecting its New England roots.
It operated mainly in New England and parts of Canada, sometimes overlapping with or cooperating with other groups like:
The Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts (SPG) (Anglican, British-based).
The New England Company (founded 1649 in England for similar purposes).
Promoted education through mission schools, and in some cases funded translations of the Bible into Native languages (e.g., Wampanoag in earlier efforts).
By the mid-19th century, the Society's influence declined due to:
Changing attitudes toward Indigenous policy.
Rise of other evangelical and missionary organizations.
Shifting social and political landscapes post-American Revolution.
Though no longer active today, the Society played an important role in shaping:
Early American missionary efforts.
Religious approaches to Indigenous relations.
The intersection of Christianity, colonialism, and education in North America.