The impact of American Missionaries on Women's education in the Ottoman Empire and Korea

The American foreign missionary movement began in 1810 with the establishment of the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions (ABCFM). This voluntary organization oversaw American missionary activity in foreign countries. American missionaries traveled to various countries such as India, Hawaii, Burma, Africa, China, Japan, the Middle East, and Korea. Protestant missionaries prioritized mass education, allowing people to study the Bible in their native languages, leading to the establishment of educational institutions in these regions. This thesis explores the significant role of American missionaries in women's education in the Ottoman Empire and Korea during the nineteent and early twentieth centuries. This research highlights the similarities and differences in their impact on the social, cultural, and political landscapes of the Ottoman Empire and Korea by offering a comparative analysis of their educational efforts. The American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions supervised the missionary activity in foreign lands, and the American missionaries' established educational institutions wherever they went. Their focus on mass education and teaching the Bible in native languages played a significant role in developing women's education in both regions. Due to the efforts of missionaries in promoting women's education, numerous women from diverse backgrounds were able to receive education. As a result, American missionary schools for women and their graduates played a vital role in the contemporary education system and made significant contributions to women's education. This study compares the impact of missionary activities on women's education in the Ottoman Empire and Korea. Through a comparative analysis, it aims to identify the similarities and differences in the influence of American missionary women's education on these two regions.