John Wood

1775 (age 47)

Scotland, United Kingdom

In the late 1790's, Wood lived in Switzerland. Upon his return to his native Scotland, he published, in 1799, "A General View of the History of Switzerland". About 1800, Wood emigrated to the United States and was recommended to Aaron Burr as a teacher of languages and Mathematics. He was for a time a tutor of Burr's precocious daughter, Theodosia, and became useful to Burr as a facile writer, willing to support his political program. In 1801, Wood published in Philadelphia "A Letter to Alexander Addison, Esq. in Answer to His Rise and Progress of Revolution". With the tone of bitter invective and personal abuse, characteristic of many of the impassioned journalists of the period, he prepared "The History Of The Administration Of John Adams, Late President Of The United States" for publication in 1802. It contained an ill-digested assortment of Party diatribes from the partisan press and Party hack writers, and some compositions from Wood's pen. Burr decided it would be more dangerous, than helpful to his Party and undertook to suppress it by buying up the edition. After much altercation, Burr failed to pay the sum, agreed upon, and the volume was published with the added zest, given in the title, "The Suppressed History of the Administration of John Adams (from 1797 to 1801)" (1802). This incident gave birth to a succession of charges and countercharges between the Burr and Clinton factions in New York, articulated through the pamphlets of their respective spokesmen, John Wood and James Cheetham. In the winter of 1805-1806, Wood went to Kentucky. In Frankfort, he began, with associates, the publication of the Western World, a weekly of Republican faith, that in July started a series of tales of the plans of James Wilkinson, Harry Innes and others with the agents of Spain. Wood later asserted, that only the first of these was published with his approval and that, when he failed to prevent the publication of the others, he withdrew from the paper. After a brief season in Kentucky, Wood returned to the East and published, in 1807, in Alexandria, Virginia, "A Full Statement of the Trial and Acquittal of Aaron Burr". He then settled in Richmond, where he eschewed politics for his mathematical and scientific interests, winning certain esteem in that city, while he acquired the reputation of being an eccentric person. It was also in Richmond, in 1809, that Wood published "A New Theory of the Diurnal Rotation of the Earth". In 1809-1810, Wood taught Thomas Jefferson Randolph's grandson at the Louis H. Girardin Academy. He continued to pursue his own mathematical and scientific interests, and subsequently obtained a professorial appointment at the College of William & Mary in 1812. He also tutored another of Thomas Jefferson's grandsons, Francis Eppes. When the Virginia legislature, in 1816-1817, provided for an accurate chart of each county of the state and a general map of the state, Thomas Jefferson recommended Wood to Governor W. C. Nicholas as a right person, who was ready to undertake the survey and mapmaking, speaking in high praise of his mathematical abilities. In 1819, Wood signed a contract with the state of Virginia to execute and deliver in five years a map of each county and a general map of the state. By February 1822, he had returned maps of all the counties except six, and upon his death, in May 1822, it was believed, that he had completed the fifth part of the general map. While Wood had received $33,000 for this project, which he had expected to finish in a few months, on his death the completion of the work was turned over to Herman Boye, who constructed the so-called nine-sheet map of Virginia, published in 1827. The verdict of a careful student of Virginia cartography on Wood's map-making is that "the county charts, which he constructed, probably indicate as careful execution and fidelity to facts, as was possible, under the difficult circumstances, attending such a large survey at that time".

John Wood

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educator mapmaker pamphleteer writer

Background

John Wood was born in 1775, in Scotland, United Kingdom.

Education

Wood received his education at the College of William & Mary, graduating from the educational establishment in 1807.

Career

In the late 1790's, Wood lived in Switzerland. Upon his return to his native Scotland, he published, in 1799, "A General View of the History of Switzerland".

About 1800, Wood emigrated to the United States and was recommended to Aaron Burr as a teacher of languages and Mathematics. He was for a time a tutor of Burr's precocious daughter, Theodosia, and became useful to Burr as a facile writer, willing to support his political program.

In 1801, Wood published in Philadelphia "A Letter to Alexander Addison, Esq. in Answer to His Rise and Progress of Revolution". With the tone of bitter invective and personal abuse, characteristic of many of the impassioned journalists of the period, he prepared "The History Of The Administration Of John Adams, Late President Of The United States" for publication in 1802. It contained an ill-digested assortment of Party diatribes from the partisan press and Party hack writers, and some compositions from Wood's pen. Burr decided it would be more dangerous, than helpful to his Party and undertook to suppress it by buying up the edition. After much altercation, Burr failed to pay the sum, agreed upon, and the volume was published with the added zest, given in the title, "The Suppressed History of the Administration of John Adams (from 1797 to 1801)" (1802). This incident gave birth to a succession of charges and countercharges between the Burr and Clinton factions in New York, articulated through the pamphlets of their respective spokesmen, John Wood and James Cheetham.

In the winter of 1805-1806, Wood went to Kentucky. In Frankfort, he began, with associates, the publication of the Western World, a weekly of Republican faith, that in July started a series of tales of the plans of James Wilkinson, Harry Innes and others with the agents of Spain. Wood later asserted, that only the first of these was published with his approval and that, when he failed to prevent the publication of the others, he withdrew from the paper.

After a brief season in Kentucky, Wood returned to the East and published, in 1807, in Alexandria, Virginia, "A Full Statement of the Trial and Acquittal of Aaron Burr". He then settled in Richmond, where he eschewed politics for his mathematical and scientific interests, winning certain esteem in that city, while he acquired the reputation of being an eccentric person. It was also in Richmond, in 1809, that Wood published "A New Theory of the Diurnal Rotation of the Earth".

In 1809-1810, Wood taught Thomas Jefferson Randolph's grandson at the Louis H. Girardin Academy. He continued to pursue his own mathematical and scientific interests, and subsequently obtained a professorial appointment at the College of William & Mary in 1812. He also tutored another of Thomas Jefferson's grandsons, Francis Eppes.

When the Virginia legislature, in 1816-1817, provided for an accurate chart of each county of the state and a general map of the state, Thomas Jefferson recommended Wood to Governor W. C. Nicholas as a right person, who was ready to undertake the survey and mapmaking, speaking in high praise of his mathematical abilities.

In 1819, Wood signed a contract with the state of Virginia to execute and deliver in five years a map of each county and a general map of the state. By February 1822, he had returned maps of all the counties except six, and upon his death, in May 1822, it was believed, that he had completed the fifth part of the general map.

While Wood had received $33,000 for this project, which he had expected to finish in a few months, on his death the completion of the work was turned over to Herman Boye, who constructed the so-called nine-sheet map of Virginia, published in 1827. The verdict of a careful student of Virginia cartography on Wood's map-making is that "the county charts, which he constructed, probably indicate as careful execution and fidelity to facts, as was possible, under the difficult circumstances, attending such a large survey at that time".

Achievements

John Wood was a renowned political writer, educator and cartographer, who contracted with the Commonwealth of Virginia to produce maps of all the counties and a general state map, completing ninety-six of the former before his death. As a political writer and pamphleteer, Wood wrote a number of pamphlets, supporting Aaron Burr's political stance, among other works. His most notable and controversial publication was "The History of the Administration of John Adams, Late President of the United States".