Giffen family papers, 1894-1896.

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Giffen family papers, 1894-1896.

http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/53811131

Collection consists of outgoing correspondence from Edward and Bertha Giffen, during their two-year mission (1894-1896) in Hankow and Ching-Ku China. Correspondents include Bertha's mother, sister, Lilian, and brother, Plato, in Nebraska. The bulk of the letters are written by Bertha and reflect her missionary zeal. The letters portray the Giffens' missionary interests, observations of Chinese culture, Bertha's declining health due to tuberculosis, and longing for home. Historically, the letters describe some of the circumstances of the Sino-Japanese War (1894-1895), a subsequent Chinese backlash directed towards missionaries, and a Mohammedan Rebellion, most likely a small movement of the revolutionary era. Most of the stationery is uniform except for the first letter, which was written on stationery depicting a Japanese landscape. Some of the more notable letters in the collection are as follows: The Sino-Japanese War's declaration is described in the letter of July 30th, 1894 and the description of the war is updated in the letter of October, 7th. In the letter of March 22nd, 1895, Bertha relates witnessing Chinese soldiers practicing in Ching-Ku. The war's ceasefire is noted on May 18th. Several aggressions against missionaries by the Chinese are noted; they are related to the Chinese defeat in the war in the letter of August 22nd, 1895. The attack of a missionary family by a mob is described in an August 19th addition to an August 16th letter. A massacre of missionaries in Fukien is noted in the letters of September 25th and October 15th. A Mohammedan Rebellion's violence is characterized in the letters of September 7th and October 15th, 1895, and in the execution of two officials related on October 24th. There are three unidentified letters at the end of the collection: two written by Bertha after her return to the United States, and one from an unidentified source to an unidentified recipient.

0.25 linear ft. (1 container)

University of Oregon Libraries

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SNAC Resource ID: 7671195

University of Oregon Libraries

Related Entities

There are 4 Entities related to this resource.

Giffen family.

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6fr8rjr (family)

Edward E. and Bertha Giffen graduated from Hastings College, a Presbyterian college in Hastings, Nebraska. Their letters indicate that their families also resided in Nebraska. In 1894, they became missionaries in Hankow, China. In 1895, they transferred to Ching-Ku. In 1896 Bertha protracted tuberculosis, cutting short their mission and forcing their return to the United States. From the description of Giffen family papers, 1894-1896. (University of Oregon Libraries). WorldCat record...

Methodist Episcopal Church

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6j13tzr (corporateBody)

The Methodist Episcopal Church was organized in the U.S. in 1784. The first general conference was held in 1792 and the constitution was adopted in 1900. In 1939 the Methodist Episcopal Church and the Methodist Protestant Church united to form the Methodist Church (U.S.). From the description of Methodist Episcopal Church records, 1791-1945. (New York Public Library). WorldCat record id: 122455885 From the guide to the Methodist Episcopal Church records, 1791-1945, (The New ...

Giffen, Edward E.

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6wd4f6m (person)

Giffen, Bertha

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6183nfq (person)