A Missionary's Cultural Diplomacy: S. Wells Williams and the Exhibition of Missionaries' Publications on the Centennial Exposition 1876

Abstract

In 1876, China, for the first time, participated in the Centennial Exposition held in Philadelphia, marking a significant event in Sino-U.S. diplomacy and the cultural history of late-Qing period. S. Wells Williams (1812—1884), an American missionary serving as an interpreter for the US. delegation, played a key role in this cultural diplomatic event. He not only persuaded the Qing government to participate but also involved himself in the preparation of exhibits, organizing missionaries in China to send publications as exhibits to shape an image of China friendly to Christianity. This paper, drawing from extensive primary archival sources, explores why and how Williams engaged himself in the exhibition preparation process, reconstructs his plans and outcomes, and reveals the fate of these exhibits in Philadelphia. It further analyzes how the interplay of political, cultural, and religious factors underlying the event shaped the unequal cultural relations between China and the U.S. Through Williams' case, the paper foregrounds the complicated roles of 19th-century missionaries in early Sino-U. S. cultural diplomacy, offering deeper insights into the history of Christianity in China and the Sino-U.S. diplomatic history.