Letters to Children (eBook)

Elihu Chauncey Bridgman, commonly referred to as E. C. Bridgman, was a consequential figure in the sphere of early American Sinology and a vanguard missionary in China. Born in 1801 in Belchertown, Massachusetts, Bridgman was educated at Amherst College and Andover Theological Seminary before sailing to the Far East under the auspices of the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions in 1829. With a vision that education and cultural exchange were pivotal to missionary work, Bridgman immersed himself in Chinese culture and language, becoming one of the first Americans to do so with scholarly rigor. His acquaintance with the Chinese language culminated in authoring 'Letters to Children,' an instructional book aiming to bridge the communicative divide between Western youth and Chinese linguistic traditions. Beyond this pedagogic endeavor, Bridgman's literary style frequently demonstrated an earnest blend of educational aim and evangelical zeal, reflecting his dual identity as an educator and clergyman. His contributions were not limited to linguistics; he played a pivotal role in founding China's first Anglo-Chinese college, now known as Ying Wa College, and the publication of one of the earliest Chinese newspapers, The Chinese Repository. Bridgman passed away in 1861, leaving behind a legacy of cultural and educational synthesis that would guide generations of Sinologists and missionaries in their approach to cross-cultural relations and exchanges.