Bu makalede Maraş'ta faaliyet göstermiş olan Amerikalı Protestan misyonerlerin 1878 yılında Zeytun'da meydana gelen Ermeni isyanı sırasında ve sonrasındaki faaliyetleri ele alınmıştır. Bu çalışmada öncelikle Amerikan Board adlı misyoner örgütünün kendi arşivinden yararlanılarak misyonerlerin isyancılarla olan ilişkileri tespit edilmeye çalışılmıştır. Misyonerlerin zeytun'daki çalışmaları ve isyancılar lehine Amerika'da Misyonerlerin Amerika'daki merkezlerine gönderdikleri raporlar ve mektuplar değerlendirilerek 1878 Zeytun isyanında misyonerlerin rolü ortaya konulurken isyanın misyonerlerin Zeytun Ermenileri arasındaki etkinliklerinin ve popülerliğinin artmasına neden olduğu tespit edilmiştir. bulunmaktadır. İsyandan önce Zeytun Ermenileri için barbar, yağmacı, kavgacı güruh ifadelerini kullanırken isyandan sonra Zeytun Ermenilerini ahraman savaşcı gibi sunmuşlardır. İsyan sırasında misyonerler, arabulucu rolü oynayarak Ermenilerle ilişkilerini geliştirmişler ve isyandan sonra Zeytun'daki faaliyetlerini artırmışlardır. Misyonerlerin Amerika'daki merkezlerine gönderdikleri raporlarında; isyandan sonra Zeytunluların Protestan misyonerlere karşı tavırlarının değiştiği ve misyonerlere olan sempatilerinin arttığı bildirilmiştir. Amerikan Board'a sunulan misyoner raporlara göre 1879'daki Zeytun İsyanı'nın misyonerlere şu katkıları olmuştur: 1) Zeytun da karışıklıklar ve isyanlar devam ederken Maraş'tan bir Protestan bayan gelerek, Zeytun'da 30 Ermeni ve 10 Protestan kadına ders vermeye başlamıştır. Zeytun'daki Gregoryen Papazlar, daha önce Ermeni kadınların Protestanlardan ders almasını yasaklamışlardı. 2) Maraş'taki misyonerlere ait okuldan mezun, Hanik Atsoon adlı bir Ermeni Zeytun'da misyonerlik faaliyetine başlamıştır. 3) Zeytun isyanı sırasında Zeytun'a sık sık gidip yerli halkla ve isyancı güruhla görüşen misyoner Henry Marden de isyandan sonra Zeytunlu Hıristiyanların; misyonerlere ve Protestanlığa ilgi duymaya başladıklarını bildirmiştir. 4) İsyandan sonra Zeytun'u ziyaret eden Misyoner G.H. Montgomery de; Zeytun'da misyonerlerin ve son olayların etkisiyle İncil'e olan talebin arttığını belirtmiştir. 5) 8 Temmuz 1880 tarihli misyoner Henry Marden tarafından, Amerikan Board Sekreteri N.G. Clark'a yazılan mektupta; isyan sayesinde Zeytun'da itibar kazandıklarını ve Zeytun'da misyonerlik faaliyetlerini yürütmek için bir ev inşa ettiklerini yazmıştı

In this study, we investigated American missionaries’ activities, who were active in Marash in 1878 Zeytun Revolt. We focused on missionaries work during to revolt. In this article, firstly we got benefit from American Board missions’ archives. We tried to find their relations with Armenian rebellions. Thus, we investigated missionaries’ diaries and reports from their own archives. In this search, we realized that the letters and reports sent by them were totally against the Turkish people and soldiers who defended themselves. These reports were published as one-sided in the Western media. In this way, they made propaganda in favor of Armenian rebels in America. Thus, missionaries tried to rise their supporters among Gregorian Armenians in Zeytun. After 1878revolt, Protestan missionaries popularities strengthened among Zeytun Armenians. Zeytun Armenians were predominantly member of the Gregorian church, thus they strongly opposed Protestant missionaries and their activities in Zeitun, and even before they have beaten American Protestant missionaries who came to Zeitun. In the previous years before the rebellion, missionaries sent letters and reports to their centers to the United States. In these letters, Armenians of Zeitun were identified as the barbarians and bandits. But the missionaries have used the issue of the rebellion and turmoil of the Zeitun in 1878, as an opportunity to perform their own interests and aspirations. They tried to get benefit from problems and riots. Missionaries showed themselves as a savior to rebels and the Armenian public during the uprising. They sought to benefit from the issue. Missionaries tried to draw the attention of the western world to the Zeytun rebellion by using unreal information. They sent sided reports to the United States, so they have made propaganda and publication in America in favor of Armenians. Armenian rebellions were based on looting, extortion and theft, and during to this uprising a large number of innocent and defenseless Muslim were massacred by rebels. On the other hand, missionaries have presented these rebellions to the Western public as resistance for freedom. So letters were written by missionaries before revolt and after revolt had great contradiction with each other. Before revolt missionaries identified Armenians of Zeitun as the barbarians and bandits. On the other hand, during to uprising and after revolt they presented Armenians of Zeitun as heroes warrior. Missionaries have played the role of mediators during the rebellion, have developed their relations with the Armenians. So, after the Zeitun rebellion in 1878 they increased their activities in Zeiton. In their reports missionaries claimed that, after the uprising Zeiton Armenians’ attitude has changed towards the Protestant missionaries and their sympathies increased against the missionaries. According to the report presented to the Center of the American Board, Zeitun Rebellion in 1879 were contributed to the missionaries about the following subjects: 1.) While unrest and revolts were continueing in Zeitun, a Protestant lady also came from Marash, began to give lessons to the 30 Armenian and 10 Protestant women in Zeitun. before uprising of Zeiton, Gregorian priests banned the Armenian women to learn from Protestant. 2.) An Armenian named Hanik Atsoon who was graduated from the school of missionaries in Marash, started missionary activities in Zeitun after uprising. 3.) During the Zeitun rebellion, missionary Henry Marden have gone Zeitun often and met rebels and inhabitants of the town. He reported that Christians of Zeiton began to pay more attention for Protestant missionaries after the Zeitun rebellion. 4.) One of the missionaries who visited Zeiton after the rebellion was GH Montgomery; he noted that working of the missionaries and recent events had increased demand for the Bible in Zeitun. 5.) Missionary Henry Marden, wrote a letter to American Board Secretary NG Clark on 8 July 1880.In letter he wrote that owing to the Zeitun rebellion they got reputation in Zeitun and they built a house for conducting missionary activities.