Life — April 18, 1918 — page 1: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# "An American Missionary" — Life Magazine, April 18, 1918 This Norman Rockwell illustration satirizes American missionary work abroad during World War I. The drawing shows a U.S. soldier in military uniform teaching baseball to a young foreign child, presenting an idealized vision of American cultural influence. The satire likely critiques how American military intervention was framed as "civilizing" or "missionary" work — spreading American values and culture alongside military presence. By depicting baseball instruction as the core of this "missionary" activity, Rockwell humorously suggests that American cultural exports (particularly sports) represented the nation's true global mission, perhaps more than genuine humanitarian concerns. The title transforms the soldier into a "missionary" of American culture rather than Christianity, pointing to America's expanding soft-power influence during the war era.