Building a career in and out of East Asia: 19th century American experts S. W. Williams and W. E. Griffis

During the 19th century, the Americans gradually reconceptualised the "Far East" as the "Near West," and a growing number of them crossed the Pacific Ocean in order to find their fortune in the East Asian countries. Two such Americans were Samuel Wells Williams (1812-1884) and William Elliot Griffis (1843-1928), who ultimately attained a position as pioneering and renowned specialists on Sinology and Japanology. This paper explores the ways in which Griffis and Williams built their careers in East Asia, and out of East Asia, in the context of general professionalization of sciences in the United States. The paper also accounts for the images of China and Japan they represented. These images were largely informed by the prevailing notions of history, civilizing mission, progress, American exceptionalism, science and objectivity, and motivated by political, national and religious interests. As experts on things Chinese and Japanese, Griffis and Williams significantly increased the knowledge available for their relatively ignorant American audience, shaped the images and opinions of their readers, and contributed to the scientification of Chinese and Japanese studies. Furthermore, they unceasingly reminded the Americans of the overall importance of the neighbouring East Asian nations and promoted a future for the United States as a Pacific power.