1820 Setlers, open spaces, and theology: a reflection on how the 1820 Settlers' theological views shape our understanding of uninhabited land

Abstract

Not only did the English believe it was their right to colonise open spaces, they also believed that they had a God-given calling to cultivate all uncultivated land. They developed a theology of the land that held the Garden of Eden was ordered and cultivated, whereas those banished from the Garden were in an uncultivated wilderness. A successful English missionary would cultivate land as a sign of moral and spiritual success. This is illustrated through an account of how one group of settlers, the Sephton Party, placed a village on the African map. More specifically, I draw attention to how their chaplain, the Rev. William Shaw, provided religious sanction for the occupation of uninhabited land.