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Preferred Citation:

Joseph Martin Letter, 1915 October 31, Special Collections Research Center, William & Mary Libraries.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Purchased from James Arsenault and Company with funds from the Frances Randolph Endowment, 2018.

Scope and Contents

14 page letter written to his father in Washington, DC from a missionary trip in Garmu, Liberia. In his letter, Martin gives great detail of the weather, jungle conditions, and the farming practices of the natives. He informs his father, also, of traditions and cultural practices of the natives, like their worshiping of the cottonwood tree, referred to as the "tree of worship" and musical practices to welcome the full moon. Martin retells of an arduous journey through the bush that came across a washed out bridge. Their efforts to cross were met with many failed attempts and they were successful only with the help of another tribe from the area. Martin concludes his letter by commenting on the current state of missionary work in the area, calling most of it a failed endeavor. He accurately foreshadows the decolonization of Africa saying, "No doubt you would be satisfied to know that some day in the near future the black man means to drive every white man off the face of Africa. Today this is slow but sure unification of the black man is going on..."

Subjects and Indexing Terms

• James Arsenault and Company
• Liberia
• Liberia -- Civilization -- American influences
• Missions -- Liberia
• Rivers -- Liberia