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In late 19th century through the first half of the 20th century, American missionaries from different denominations came to various parts of China, joining the European counterparts (both Catholic and Protestants). The conditions for foreigners improved quite dramatically soon after the anti-foreign movement known as the Boxer rebellion, which brought armed forces to Peking from eight Allied powers in 1900. Though their experiences all differ, most of the missionary families lived a Western lifestyle, and their children, isolated from the Chinese population for the most part, were brought up speaking English, attending the local missionary schools. Some were sent back to the US for high school and college. Many but not all of them acquired fluency in spoken Chinese, and after training in the US returned to China to do missionary work, or in a few cases, engage in scholarly study of China's history and culture.
- J. Stuart Leighton, founder of Yenching University and, after WWII, the US ambassador to China
- Henry R. Luce, founder of Time magazine and life-long supporter of a modern China
- Owen Lattimore