Beginning in 1819, American Protestants undertook a century-long effort to “civilize and Christianize” the Middle East. The movement lasted until the 1930s when it collapsed amidst the economic turmoil of the Great Depression and the religious turmoil of the Modernist-Fundamentalist debates. Hundreds of missionaries were sent to the region during this time to establish schools (to civilize) and churches (to Christianize) the local populations. This paper will assess the political and religious impact of these efforts and the extent to which their influence can still be seen today in the Middle East.