Elihu+Burritt+-+SP09

Elihu Burritt "the learned blacksmith" December 8,1810-March 6, 1879

Elihu Burritt was an American philanthropist and a social activist. He was born in New Britain, Connecticut on December 8th, 1810. When he was just 15 years old, he was forced to leave school and be an apprentice for a blacksmith, due to his father's death. He settled in Worcester, Massachusetts, as blacksmith and be began to study different languages. He became fluent in Hebrew, Chaldaic, and Syriac. By the age of 30, he could read nearly fifty languages. He was offered a chance to study at Harvard, but he turned it down, because his place was with the "common people." In 1848 he organized the Brussels congress of Friends of Peace. He wrote many publications that stressed peace, like //Advocate of Peace and Universal Brotherhood// and //Christian Citizen.//

Criticisms: -Burritt thought that the postage cost of twenty five cents was absurd and out of reach for many people

Goals: -abolish slavery -he wanted the federal government to sell all public lands in the western territories and use the money from this to compensate the southern slaveholders for emancipation of their slaves -wanted penny postage -world peace -temperance

Ways the Government could advance the goals: -enforce penny postage -fund the //__Christian Citizen__//, to help spread his views

Methods of Achieving Goals: -He visited Ireland, and became aware of the potato famine, so he wrote a pamphlet called //Four Months in Skibbereen,// which made Americans aware of the famine in Ireland -Attempt for world peace: Burritt worked with legislators in the United States and Europe and he addressed 150 meetings in Europe promoting world peace

Achievements: -became antislavery liberty party candidate for Massachusetts state senate -launched reform organization-League of Universal Brotherhood(voluntary members pledged not to lend aid to any war effort of their nation) -campaign for penny postage(increase international correspondence, trade, and lead to universal brotherhood) -published over 37 books -appointed as a United States consul in Birmingham, England -His efforts towards penny postage resulted in lowering the postage charges in 1872 -he organized the Brussels Congress of Friends of Peace -started the //Christian Citizen//-a weekly journal devoted to anti-slavery, peace, temperance, and self-culture

Practicality: -Burritt's views were very practical at the time. Many others were fighting for the same causes, especially temperance, so he was not alone.

References: -Father Theobald Matthew also had the same views as Burritt as to temperance. He was completely against it. He also traveled to preach temperance, just like Burritt did, -Sylvester Graham was also against alcohol, just like Burritt. However, he went about his views in a different way than Burritt had.

Bibliography: "Elihu Burritt Biography." __Bookrags__. 2006. 1 Mar 2009 . "Elihu Burritt." __Elihu Burritt Archives__. 2009. 1 Mar 2009 . "Elihu Burritt." __Wikipedia__. 05 Dec 2008. 1 Mar 2009 .