Final answer:
American colleges in the colonial era were created by missionaries to train Christians as evangelists.
Step-by-step explanation:
American colleges begun in the colonial era were created by missionaries with the purpose to train Christians to effectively engage in their culture as evangelists. Churches and schools were established by the missionaries to convert people in the colonies to Christianity and teach them the language of the conquering nation. The colonists aimed to create a religious example in the new world that could be used as a model for reforming England and Europe.