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Adoniram Judson

 Series

Scope and Contents

Original and research materials, most likely collected by American Baptist Historical Society over many years. Some items, such as the applications in box 1, are from the collections of International Ministries, also held by ABHS.

Dates

  • Creation: 1810-2006

Creator

Conditions Governing Access

The collection is open for research. Unpublished manuscripts are protected by copyright. Permission to publish, quote, or reproduce must be secured from the repository and copyright holder. Staff may refuse copying of fragile or at-risk materials.

Researchers must seek permission of donor or donor's family for use of published works included in the collection.

Materials may be accessed by request at the American Baptist Historical Society. For more information on accessing collections or obtaining copies, visit http://abhsarchives.org.

Biographical / Historical

Asscessed 2020-6-26 from https://www.britannica.com/biography/Adoniram-Judson

Adoniram Judson, (born Aug. 9, 1788, Malden, Mass., U.S.—died April 12, 1850, at sea, Indian Ocean), American linguist and Baptist missionary in Myanmar (Burma), who translated the Bible into Burmese and wrote a now standard Burmese dictionary.

At Andover Theological Seminary, Massachusetts, Judson acquired a zeal for evangelism. In 1810 six seminary students, with a petition drafted by Judson, succeeded in getting the General Association of Massachusetts (Congregational) to establish the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions. The new board sent Judson to England to confer on affiliation with the London Missionary Society. He was delayed by the capture of his vessel by a French privateer, and growing international tensions on the eve of the War of 1812 prompted the American board to act independently.

In 1812 Judson and his wife, Ann Hasseltine (1789–1826), along with four other missionaries, set out for India. Anticipating a meeting with Baptists at Serampur, India, they made a study of Baptism while they were aboard ship and were won over to the Baptist point of view. They were baptized by immersion and left the U.S. board to join a new board formed in 1814; thus began what is now called the American Baptist Foreign Mission Society. When the British East India Company opposed them in India, the Judsons relocated to Rangoon in 1813; there Judson mastered the Burmese language and literature and learned Pāli, the Buddhist canonical language.

Adapting local customs to evangelism, Judson opened his first public preaching place in 1819. He soon founded a Myanmar church, established schools, and trained preachers. From his pioneering efforts there eventually arose a Baptist Christian community composed of Burman, Karen, and other peoples amounting to about 500,000. During the First Burmese War with Britain (1824–26), Judson was imprisoned by Myanmar forces and suffered extreme torture. His wife’s heroism during the period became a legend. She died soon after he was freed from prison. Judson continued to combine translation and literary work with evangelism, and in 1834 he completed the task of translating the Bible into Burmese. His Dictionary, which was first issued in 1826, came out in revised editions in 1849 (English-Burmese) and in 1852 (Burmese-English).

Extent

From the Collection: 6.8 Linear Feet (1 legal manuscript box, 12 letter manuscript and 1 scrapbook box)

Language of Materials

Multiple languages

Related Materials

ABHS has an extensive collection of Judson's correspondence, with family and with the American Baptist Foreign Mission Society, now known as International Ministries.

See also microfilm M3 J

Processing Information

There is no acquisition infomraiton for this collection, leading us to believe that is was created by archivists and librarians for ABHS, over time. The first box is original material, that continues to expand. The subsequent boxes are primarily from a file cabinet of ready research materials, so the bulk are copies. Those are also being added to. In 2019, Head of Archives and Special Collections created a more detailed inventory.

Repository Details

Part of the American Baptist Historical Society Repository

Contact:
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