“Lord, if I am the one, open the way”: Willie Ann Bowman and the Methodist transnational circulation (1895-1906)

Abstract

Starting from some biographical traits of Willie Ann Bowman, missionary from Methodist Episcopal Church, South who worked in Brazil between 1895 and 1906, the article aims to investigate the transnational circulation of people, knowledge and practices enabled by the North American Protestant denomination. Using official documents produced by the Church, including reports, letters, and periodicals, we focus on the female role while framing the problem with the support of the Transnational History of Education. Thereby, the investigation allowed to demonstrate that the vigor of the circulation of people and repertoires dynamized by the Methodist Episcopal Church, South between the United States and Brazil contributed to the construction of educational meanings in the local sphere.