(This is a reproduction of a book published before 1923. T...)
This is a reproduction of a book published before 1923. This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process. We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide. We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book.
Observations On the Climate in Different Parts of America, Compared with the Climate in Corresponding Parts of the Other Continent: To Which Are ... with Some Account of the Abrigines of America
(This book was originally published prior to 1923, and rep...)
This book was originally published prior to 1923, and represents a reproduction of an important historical work, maintaining the same format as the original work. While some publishers have opted to apply OCR (optical character recognition) technology to the process, we believe this leads to sub-optimal results (frequent typographical errors, strange characters and confusing formatting) and does not adequately preserve the historical character of the original artifact. We believe this work is culturally important in its original archival form. While we strive to adequately clean and digitally enhance the original work, there are occasionally instances where imperfections such as blurred or missing pages, poor pictures or errant marks may have been introduced due to either the quality of the original work or the scanning process itself. Despite these occasional imperfections, we have brought it back into print as part of our ongoing global book preservation commitment, providing customers with access to the best possible historical reprints. We appreciate your understanding of these occasional imperfections, and sincerely hope you enjoy seeing the book in a format as close as possible to that intended by the original publisher.
Hugh Williamson was an American physician and politician.
Background
Hugh Williamson was born on December 5, 1735, in West Nottingham Township, Pennsylvania, the son of John W. Williamson, was a native of Ireland, of Scotch descent, a clothier, who came to Chester County from Dublin about 1730, and Mary Davison. The Williamsons were industrious, thrifty and religious.
Education
Hugh, the eldest of a large family, was designed for the ministry and was prepared for college at New London Cross Roads and at Newark, Delaware. He was a hard student with a particular bent for mathematics, and was in the first class to graduate from the College of Philadelphia (now the University of Pennsylvania), in 1757.
He then spent two years in Shippensburgh settling his father's estate. Subsequently, he studied theology in Connecticut and, while never ordained, was licensed and preached for some time. Becoming increasingly disgusted with the doctrinal controversies among the Presbyterians, he took up the study of medicine, and at the same time was made professor of mathematics at the College of Philadelphia.
In 1764 he went abroad, and at Edinburgh, London, and Utrecht, continued his medical studies, receiving at the University of Utrecht the degree of M. D. Settling in Philadelphia, he began practice, but he was very frail and whenever he had a patient who was in serious danger he developed a fever.
Hugh Williamson also received an honorary degree from the University of Leyden.
Career
Accordingly he began to consider entering upon a business career. He never lost interest in the sciences, however, and to the study of mathematics he was particularly devoted.
As a member of the American Philosophical Society, he was appointed one of a commission to study the transits of Venus and Mercury in 1769. His observations of the comet of that year led him to an original theory regarding comets, which is stated in "An Essay on Comets" (Transactions of the American Philosophical Society, vol. I, 1771).
In 1773, after his return from a trip to the West Indies to obtain subscriptions for an academy at Newark, Delaware, he went to Europe on the same mission. He did not, however, confine his activities to the cause of education. While waiting for his ship to sail he was a witness of the Boston Tea Party, and he carried the first news of it to England. Summoned before the Privy Council for examination, he predicted revolt if the British colonial policy was continued. Just before he left England he obtained by a bold stratagem the Hutchinson-Oliver letters from Massachusetts, which he delivered to Franklin. With Franklin, Williamson established a close friendship, and collaborated with him in numerous experiments in electricity.
One of Williamson's papers ("Experiments and Observations on the Gymnotus Electricus, or Electric Eel") was read before the Royal Society and published in its Transactions in 1775. He was the author, also, of a letter addressed to Lord Mansfield, called The Plea of the Colonies, which appeared anonymously in 1775, answering charges of sedition, turbulence, and disloyalty made against the American colonies and written in the hope of holding the friendship of the British Whigs.
In Holland Williamson received news of the Declaration of Independence, and in December 1776 he sailed for home carrying dispatches. The ship was captured off the Delaware capes, but he escaped in a small boat.
He now began his mercantile career, going first to Charleston, South Carolina, but almost immediately moving to Edenton, North Carolina, where he eventually built up a large trade with the French West Indies and also resumed the practice of medicine. He offered his services as a physician to Governor Caswell and after a time was sent to New Bern to inoculate troops with smallpox. Soon thereafter he was made surgeon-general of the state troops. He was present at the battle of Camden and subsequently crossed repeatedly into the British lines to care for American prisoners, winning the confidence of the British who also made use of his services. From experience he became an eager advocate of inoculation as an absolutely necessary prerequisite for effective military service. While in camp in the Dismal Swamp he experimented to ascertain if attention to dress, diet, lodging, and drainage would reduce sickness. Only two men, out of a force ranging from five to twelve hundred in number, died in six months, an unheard of record for that day.
Williamson's political life began with his election from the borough of Edenton to the House of Commons in 1782. That same year he was also elected to the Continental Congress, where he served until 1785. He was again a member of the House of Commons, this time from Chowan County, in 1785. Once more elected to the Continental Congress in 1787, he remained a member until it went out of existence.
In 1787 that he was sent as a delegate to the Constitutional Convention held in Philadelphia. He was a vocal participant pushing for representation, in the new nation's legislative branch, to be based on population, a position that would benefit the larger states. After the new government was established he was elected to the First and Second Congresses representing his North Carolina district from 1790 to 1793. As a Congressman he opposed the Jay Treaty, the whiskey tax and the establishment of the Bank of the United States. After serving two terms he moved to New York City where he assumed his writing career. In the latter stages of his life he published works on North Carolina history, the lightening rod, and the affects of the climate on the health of humans. Although out of politics, the Pennsylvania native continued to demonstrate concern for his fellow man by volunteering in an orphanage, a New York City hospital and for the humane society. He remained active in his scientific, literary and community service pursuits until his death on May 22, 1819, in New York.
(This is a reproduction of a book published before 1923. T...)
Views
Quotations:
"Repression will provoke rebellion. "
Membership
On January 19, 1768, Hugh Williamson was elected to the American Philosophical Society.
Williamson was a member of the Holland Society of Science, the Society of Arts and Sciences of Utrecht. He was a founder of the Literary and Philosophical Society of New York and a prominent member of the New York Historical Society.
From 1813, Williamson was a member of the American Antiquarian Society.
From March 19, 1790 to March 3, 1791, Hugh Williamson served as a member of the U. S. House of Representatives from North Carolina's 2nd district.
From March 4, 1791 to March 3, 1793, he served as a member of the U. S. House of Representatives from North Carolina's 4th district.
Personality
Personally Hugh Williamson was pleasant and genial, and was widely popular. He was inclined to be intolerant of those whom he regarded as unsound in religion and on occasion he was a master of "a Johnsonian rudeness" in dealing with those he disliked.
Connections
In January 1789, Hugh Williamson married Maria Apthorpe; she died after the birth of their second child in 1790. They had two sons, both of whom died young.