Early Capitalism in Colonial Missions: Moravian Household Economies in the Global Eighteenth Century (Empire’s Other Histories)

Drawing on unpublished archival material, this volume compares Moravian economic practice in three different mission-settings, to demonstrate how Moravian practices evolved during the 18th century as part of a globalizing world and economy. Delivering in-depth analysis of the far-reaching and deep seated effects of missionary activity on indigenous communities and social relations, it explores how different economic contexts had an impact on the missionaries’ relations with Indigenous and slave-populations in empire. Petterson provides an insight how the missionaries worked, lived among various non-European peoples, and how they organised themselves and their surroundings at a time of changing identities and socio economic change. Analysing how missionary practice developed over this period, it also demonstrates how the Moravian leadership’s priorities and how this affected attitudes to non-European peoples on the ground. Standing outside of national and imperial boundaries, and ambivalent about the political notion of imperialism as well as colonisation itself, Moravian missionaries nonetheless functioned in parallel with colonial structures, and were part of a broadly culturally colonial mission. So, even on the outskirts of imperial organisation, they were often a crucial part of colonial practice and took part in normalising capitalist relations in many—but not all—settings, as this book demonstrates. Half Title Series Page Title Page Copyright Page Dedication Contents Figures Acknowledgements Introduction: What did early capitalism look like on the ground? Historical context Conceptual approach Capitalism Oeconomie as communal household Methodology Presentation style: A dialectic of archival narrative and theoretical reflection Archival sources Terminology Chapter outline Chapter 1: The Moravian Brethren Introduction Individual Community Missionary ideals and missionary practice History Were the Moravians ‘conservative’? Conclusion Part I: Bethlehem, Pennsylvania Chapter 2: Moravians and money So, how do Moravians speak about economic issues? Reprimand from Bethlehem Bethlehem Beginnings of the General Economy in Bethlehem Transition towards waged labour Introducing a ‘free economy’ Projects and suggestions for the new organization Conclusion Chapter 3: Change in leadership and organization: The case of Bethlehem’s General Economy Introduction Moravian leadership restructured Earlier attempts at organization The establishment of Central Council (Ratsconferenz) and Inner Council (Enge Conferenz) End of the General Economy: First steps July 1760: Communicating the impending change to Bethlehem November–December 1760: The appointed committee sets to work Plans January 1761: Results are presented to the Directorial Board February 1761: Blueprint for the restructure in place Spangenberg’s letter (November 1760) with suggestions arrives from Bethlehem Execution March–April 1761: Decision sent to the leadership in Bethlehem Implications of the restructure: Market economy and mission work Market Mission Conclusion Part II: New-Herrnhut in St Thomas, the Danish West Indies Chapter 4: Time of transition and change in mission: 1760–4 in the Moravian Unity Introduction The earlier missions: 1730s and 1740s Missions in 1760 and 1761: A period of transition The Mission Deputation: Establishment and tasks First General Synod in Marienborn, 1764 Session one: Assessing specific missions Session two: Particular problems Session three: Reconstitution of the Mission Deputation Conclusion Chapter 5: ‘Plantation disposition’: The ‘outer’ sphere and the accumulation of riches in the Danish West Indies Introduction Rude awakening in the Danish West Indies First years (1732–8) Purchase of a plantation Challenges to the ideal household Slaves and slave-owners in the mission ‘Inner’ and ‘outer’ Expansion of the sugar industry Visitations to St Thomas Visitation of 1753: Early distinction between inner and outer duties Visitation of 1755: Addressing the question of Moravian-owned slaves Visitation of 1759: Clearer distinction between two types of Oeconomie Visitation of 1783–4: All eyes on the ‘outer’ Oeconomie Further divisions and distinctions Sale of the Bethel plantation Household after 1760 Conclusion Part III: New-Herrnhut in Greenland Chapter 6: Greenland and colonial authorities Introduction Relation to colonial authorities Danish colonial monopoly Nitschmann’s letter to the Danish king, Christian VI The problem of passage The question of settlement Further restrictions Sustaining Moravian activities Chapter 7: Developing the ‘inner sphere’ Community organization: Developing the ‘inner’ sphere Choirs Households Early organization Implications and transformations in a colonial context Days of celebration Conclusion: The ‘inner’ sphere of the Greenland mission Conclusion: Moravians and capitalism Introduction Religion and capitalism Bürgergeist Moravian particularities Archival references Bibliography Index Drawing on unpublished archival material, this volume compares two Moravian missions, in Greenland and Australia, to demonstrate how their practices evolved over the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries as part of a globalizing world and economy. Delivering in-depth analysis of the far-reaching and deep-seated effects of missionary activity on indigenous communities and social relations, it also explores how the indigenous were 'othered' in empire, and the role missionaries played in this process. Petterson provides an insight into the lives of indigenous peoples, and the missionaries who lived amongst them, at a time of changing identities and socio-economic change. Analysing how missionary practice developed over this period, it also demonstrates how attitudes to and engagement with indigenous peoples transformed. Standing outside of national and imperial boundaries, and ambivalent about the political notion of imperialism and colonisation itself, nonetheless missionaries functioned in parallel with colonial structures, and were part of a broadly culturally colonial mission. On the outskirts of imperial organisation, they were often a crucial part of colonial practice. This book examines both missionaries and indigenous peoples as 'others' in imperial systems through the economic and cultural practices of their spiritual colonialism.