Sophia Sawyer: the Life and Experiences of a Missionary Teacher

Sophia Sawyer was born and educated in New Hampshire and Massachusetts. She turned to teaching as a means of support after the death of her parents, and was later sent to teach in Tennessee for the American Board of Commissioners of Foreign Missions. Sawyer exemplifies the first generation of women to receive an academy education and become teachers themselves. In the large number of letters written to, by, and about her, it is revealed that Sawyer was a religious and pious person who felt a callingto Christianize and educate the Cherokees. She also displayed considerable respect for their culture,something which is often overlooked in many histories of White/Native American encounters. Sawyer appears to have cared deeply about herstudents, and the techniques that she used reflect this depth of feeling. Sawyer created a classroom atmosphere which encouraged but challenged the students to learn English, as well as subjects taught in schools for Anglo-American children. Her accomplishment is worth examining in light of our modern concern about multi-cultural education.