George Keith, John Talbot, and the Imperial Origins of American Anglicanism

Indianapolis, IN

In 1702, the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts (SPG), which was run by the Church of England, sent George Keith as a missionary in the American colonies. This was the first missionary voyage in a long series of voyages organized by the SPG. Keith's trip is significant because it shows the imperial ambitions of the Church of England, especially among the dissenting religious groups in New England and the Middle Colonies. During his trip in the American colonies, Keith sent numerous letters to the SPG headquarters in England and also wrote and published a journal documenting his trip. Analysis of these primary sources shows that Keith shared in the imperial attitudes of the Church and laid the groundwork for further Anglican influence in the colonies. Although there have been many works on Anglican history and American religious history, some even highlighting imperialistic ambitions, there has been very little written about Keith’s important voyage. This original research contributes to the history of religion in America by showing that early Anglicanism in America was fueled by a desire for imperial control.