William Speer (minister)

William Speer (1822-1904) was a pioneer Presbyterian pastor who founded the first Chinese Protestant church outside of China -- the Chinese Mission Chapel -- among the Chinese immigrants during the Gold Rush in 1853, at the corner of Stockton and Sacramento Streets in San Francisco, California.[1] In January 1855, as founder and editor, he published the first English/Chinese newspaper, The Oriental (东涯新录), which was the second Chinese-language newspaper in North America.[2] He was also a missionary to Canton, fluent in Cantonese, and an early advocate of fair treatment for Chinese immigrants in California.[3] In a note introducing his article Democracy of the Chinese in the November 1868 Harper's Magazine, the editors wrote: "We believe that there are not five men, European or American, who are as thoroughly acquainted as Dr. Speer with the Chinese in their own country. We think there is no other man so fully conversant with the Chinese in California."[4]

Rev. Dr.

William Speer
Born(1822-04-24)April 24, 1822
DiedFebruary 16, 1904(1904-02-16) (aged 81)

References
  1. Chua, Christopher Viboon (2014). "The Sacredness of Being There: Race, Religion, and Place-Making at San Francisco's Presbyterian Church in Chinatown". UC Berkeley eScholarship. Retrieved 10 October 2020.
  2. Yang, Tao (January 2009). "Press, Community, and Library: A Study of the Chinese-language Newspapers Published in North America" (PDF). Retrieved 10 October 2020.
  3. Stahler, Michael L. (1970). "William Speer: Champion of California's Chinese, 1852—1857". Journal of Presbyterian History (1962-1985). 48 (2): 113–129. ISSN 0022-3883. JSTOR 23327321.
  4. Speer, William (November 1868). "Democracy of the Chinese". Harper's Magazine. Retrieved 10 October 2020.


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