Anglican imperialism : the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel and the peoples of the colonial New York and South Carolina

Abstract

Founded in 1701, the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel was the missionary branch of the Church of England. Signifying a revitalized Church, the SPG sought to unite all the people of Britain's colonies under the banner of Anglicanism. The SPG provided the colonies with Anglican clergy, opened free schools, and employed schoolmasters. The Society also initiated specific programs to convert Indians and black who resided within Britain's North American provinces. These programs include two free schools for slaves and an Indian mission that operated for more fifty years. Perceiving every person as either an Anglican or a potential one, SPG clergy attended persons of all ages, all faiths, and all colors. Because of financial constraints and other considerations, however, the Society concentrated much of its work in two colonies, New York and South Carolina. Serving as the northern and southern focus for missionary efforts, the SPG attempted to convert the religiously and ethnically diverse population of each colony to Anglicanism. Establishment buttressed the Society's efforts in New York and South Carolina. In New York, the Church of England was established in six counties; in South Carolina, it was established throughout the province.

The SPG succeeded in bringing Anglicanism to the inhabitants of New York and South Carolina. But the Society was unable to create an Anglican society for either colony. Concentrating its efforts on the white population, the Society converted few colonist to Anglicanism. The SPG was even less successful in its Indian and black program. Except for the Mohawk tribe, few Indians were converted. And only a small number of blacks were converted. The Church of England did not unite all under the banner of Anglicanism, though the SPG labored diligently in each colony and served the needs of many in New York and South Carolina.