Amerikan Board (ABCFM) misyonerlerinin Harput'taki eğitim faaliyetleri

The deterioration of the education system in the Ottoman Empire in the 19th century and the fact that it could not meet the needs of the community paved the way for foreign missionary activities in the Ottoman lands. Intense missionary activities in the Ottoman Empire affected education and shaped the country's culture, political, and social structure. In this thesis, the Educational Activities of the American Board (ABCFM) operating in the Ottoman Empire in Harpoot are examined and explained in the historical process. The study consists of three main parts. At the beginning of the study, there is information about the American Board missionary organization. In addition, the effects of foreign governments on the Ottoman Empire and some events that paved the way for missionary activities and the definition, origin, etymology, and historical course of the words mission and missionary are discussed. In the first part of the study, the establishment of the American Board, the settlement procedure it followed in a region, the importance of educational activities for the Board, and the types of schools it established were examined. In the second part of the study, the beginning of the Ottoman-US relations and the period until the arrival of the missionaries of the American Board to the Ottoman lands are examined. In the third chapter, the arrival of the American Board missionaries in Harpoot, the establishment and development of the mission, and the schools established in the mission were examined in detail. At the same time, in this section, the reactions of the Muslim and non-Muslim people against the activities of the American Board missionaries and the measures taken by the Ottoman State against the activities of the Board are explained. Again, this section examined the rebellions, unrest, and other social events caused by missionary activities. The situation of the American Board missionaries during the First World War and the events that led to the closure of the Harpoot mission are also examined in detail in this section. The study used the archive of the American Board, missionary letters, annual mission reports, academic theses written in missionary activities, and other relevant resources. Keywords: USA, Ottoman State, Harpoot, American Board (ABCFM), Missionary Activities