Samuel Marsdens 'Christian Missionaries Oppose Removal, 1830'

Both primary documents, ‘The Letters and Journals of Samuel Marsden’ and ‘Christian Missionaries Oppose Removal, 1830’ help describe how race was viewed in early nineteenth century New Zealand and USA. From these documents readers are given a clearer understanding on how the great chain of being theory effected views on race as well as gathering inisght into the white lensed view of missionaries and the reasons behind why civilisation of natives was deemed so important in both New Zealand and USA.

Rev Samuel Marsdens ‘The Letters and Journals of Samuel Marsden’, published in 1814 discusses the missionaries perspectives on the capability of Maori civilisation. During this time period the humaniterian wave had started, and with a colonizing population filled
The documents are most similair in their ideas about superiority and inferiority outlining a definite ideology of European superiority over the Cherokee Indians and Maoris. In saying this, when comparing the two articles it is clear that Maoris were seen as more adaptable to civilisation and European ways, the reasoning revolving the humanitarian wave taking off at the time as well as the diversity the US had compared to New Zealand. New Zealands European population consisted of mainly missionaries where as the US had a larger European diversity containing many traders and government officals. Both documents held large eurocentric views towards the natives however Rev Samuel Marsdens seemed to be more fond of the Maoris progress towards civilisation than The Missionary Hearld due to Maoris enthausiasm in Christianity and commerce whereas The Missionary Herald discusses the resiliance of many memebers towards