The Jesuit Relations and Allied Documents, Essay Example

The primary source is an excerpt of a letter written by a French Nun of the early missionary order of the Ursuline Sisters.  The letter was written during the early colonization of the Americas by French settlers in 1639.  The creation of the letter took place in New France somewhere in the North American colonies of the French Empire, which stretched from modern day Canada in the north to Louisiana, in the South.  The French Ursuline Nun that wrote the letter was named Mother Marie de Saint Joseph.  Mother Marie de Saint Joseph was sent by the French church along with Marie of the Incarnation to establish an order in the New World.  Her goal was to bring the teachings of her order to those in the new settlements.

The main way that the factors listed above could potentially shape the perspective of de Saint Joseph is her dedication to the church.  This has an impact on her view of the role of her order in the new world and her opinion regarding the ultimate outcome of their endeavor.  This source was created, it seems, as an account of the way that life was lived at the missionary in New France.  The letter is an indication of the hope that the author has of the impact that their mission will have on the New World.  There does not seem to be an argument in the source.  However, the view that the author has seems to indicate the argument that the established mission was an important aspect of social life for those involved.  There is no indication of who the letter was meant to be delivered to, however, the intention of the letter seems to be to indicate the positive impact that the mission had on those that they took in.

If the intended audience for the letter were somebody within the faith the letter would seem to be more of a simple correspondence.  If the letter were addressed to somebody who was outside of the mission, however, it would seem to be an attempt to persuade that person that the mission was doing good.  The source was created, specifically, during the early colonization of New France by an order of Catholic Nuns known as the Ursuline Sisters, who were similar to Jesuits.  One of the main historical events influencing the text was the discovery of the New World.  This text was written during a period of excitement, struggle, and diversity as many conflicting nations were attempting to gain a foothold in the newly discovered world.  This seems fairly consistent with the record of the time, as there was a strong religious influence to the colonization of the Americas.

One of the most important historical facts that can be learned from this source is the idea that there were strongly rooted and successful all female missions in North America at the time of French colonization.  Another cultural factor that may have shaped the message of the source was the diversity of the North American continent at the time.  This period saw a mass migration of those of European descent into the country, which in itself was a large amount of diversity.  The positive tone of the Christian mission at the time seems in contrast to that of the present day, in which the establishment of these types of missions seems to have dwindled.  The historical perspectives of the other colonies, the English and Spanish, as well as those of the Native populations are left out of this source.  One of the main questions that are left unanswered within the source itself is the overall success of the mission that is being discussed.  While the lives of those involved are described as being happy, the ability of the mission to sustain itself is left undiscussed.

References

Thwaites, R. (2005). The Jesuit Relations and Allied Documents. Vol. 19, Quebec: Hurons, 1640. Clark, N.J.: Lawbook Exchange.