Benjamin Gale (December 14, 1715May 6, 1790) was an American physician, scientist,
agriculturist
An agriculturist, agriculturalist, agrologist, or agronomist (abbreviated as agr.), is a professional in the science, practice, and management of agriculture and agribusiness. It is a regulated profession in Canada, India, the Philippines, the U ...
, inventor and
political polemicist who was known for his political protests against the
New Lights, which resulted in a fifteen year
pamphlet war against leader
Thomas Clap
Thomas Clap or Thomas Clapp (June 26, 1703 – January 7, 1767) was an American academic and educator, a Congregational minister, and college administrator. He was both the fifth rector and the earliest official to be called "president" of Yale Co ...
, and was himself considered a leader of
Old Light politics in
Connecticut
Connecticut () is the southernmost state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the south. Its capita ...
.
Gale was born in
Jamaica, Queens. After graduating from
Yale University
Yale University is a Private university, private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. Established in 1701 as the Collegiate School, it is the List of Colonial Colleges, third-oldest institution of higher education in the United Sta ...
, he moved to
Killingworth, Connecticut
Killingworth is a town in Middlesex County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 6,174 at the 2020 United States Census.
History
Killingworth was established from the area called Hammonasset, taken from the local Native American tri ...
where he further studied medicine and surgery. Throughout the next decade he would indulge in several business ventures and investments, which led to his invention of the
drill plough
Michel Lullin de Châteauvieux (Genève, 15 September 1695 - Genève, 19 March 1781) was a Genevan nobleman, agronomist and experimenter on agriculture, . He was elected as
justice of the peace and
state representative in 1747, and would serve in those capacities until 1773 and 1770 respectively.
In 1755, Gale would publish his first pamphlet against Thomas Clap, which he wrote as a response against an earlier pamphlet written by Clap. This pamphlet ended up being successful, prompting a pamphlet war with Clap throughout the next fifteen years, which ended in Clap's eventual resignation in 1766.
Throughout his later life, Gale went on several ventures as an inventor, vintner and distiller. After surviving a serious illness in 1788, Gale eventually fell ill again which led to his death in 1790.
Early life and education
Benjamin Gale was born on December 14, 1715 in
Jamaica, New York
Jamaica is a neighborhood in the New York City borough of Queens. It is mainly composed of a large commercial and retail area, though part of the neighborhood is also residential. Jamaica is bordered by Hollis to the east; St. Albans, Springf ...
, to John Gale, and Mary. His paternal ancestor, Edmond Gale, came to
Cambridge, Massachusetts
Cambridge ( ) is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. As part of the Boston metropolitan area, the cities population of the 2020 U.S. census was 118,403, making it the fourth most populous city in the state, behind Boston ...
in the early 17th century from
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
, and died in
Boston
Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...
. Edmond's son, Abel, then came to Jamaica where he bought land, on which he built his residence, on October 18, 1665. Abel's son and Benjamin's father, John, was a
miller
A miller is a person who operates a mill, a machine to grind a grain (for example corn or wheat) to make flour. Milling is among the oldest of human occupations. "Miller", "Milne" and other variants are common surnames, as are their equivalent ...
, owning multiple mills in
Long Island, until 1721, when he sold all of his mills for
£1500. John then moved to
Goshen, New York
Goshen is a town in Orange County, New York, United States. The population was 13,687 at the 2010 census. The town is named after the Biblical Land of Goshen. It contains a village also called Goshen, which is the county seat of Orange Count ...
, the same year, becoming a
proprietor
Ownership is the state or fact of legal possession and control over property, which may be any asset, tangible or intangible. Ownership can involve multiple rights, collectively referred to as title, which may be separated and held by different ...
of the then newly-established town.
Shortly after his settlement in Goshen, Benjamin was educated by
Samuel Johnson at his home in
Stratford, Connecticut, as Johnson was known to instruct young New Yorkers. There, he was taught
Latin
Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...
and
Greek
Greek may refer to:
Greece
Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe:
*Greeks, an ethnic group.
*Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family.
**Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor ...
, which he retained working knowledge of throughout his life. At the age of thirteen, Gale was enrolled into
Yale University
Yale University is a Private university, private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. Established in 1701 as the Collegiate School, it is the List of Colonial Colleges, third-oldest institution of higher education in the United Sta ...
, where he graduated in 1733, and received his
Master of Arts
A Master of Arts ( la, Magister Artium or ''Artium Magister''; abbreviated MA, M.A., AM, or A.M.) is the holder of a master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is usually contrasted with that of Master of Science. Th ...
three years later.
After his graduation, Gale moved to the village of
Killingworth, Connecticut
Killingworth is a town in Middlesex County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 6,174 at the 2020 United States Census.
History
Killingworth was established from the area called Hammonasset, taken from the local Native American tri ...
, where he studied medicine and surgery under
Jared Eliot. On June 6, 1739, Gale married Jared's daughter Hannah, with whom he had eight children, making him the
son-in-law
Son-in-Law (22 April 1911 – 15 May 1941) was a British Thoroughbred racehorse and an influential sire, especially for sport horses.
The National Horseracing Museum says Son-in-Law is "probably the best and most distinguished stayer this co ...
of Jared.
Career
1740–1746 Business ventures and investments
Though never being considered wealthy, Gale had several business ventures and investments, including trading horses to the
West Indies
The West Indies is a subregion of North America, surrounded by the North Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea that includes 13 independent island countries and 18 dependencies and other territories in three major archipelagos: the Greate ...
. He also built and operated
steel mill, along with his brother-in-law Aaron Eliot, until as late as 1787. Jared had made some unsuccessful experiments of an early prototype of the
drill plough
Michel Lullin de Châteauvieux (Genève, 15 September 1695 - Genève, 19 March 1781) was a Genevan nobleman, agronomist and experimenter on agriculture, , and after his death, Gale continued to work on the prototype, and sent a model to the
Royal Society of Arts, and was subsequently awarded with a gold medal in January 1770. Though this was then seen as a controversy, when Benoni Hillyer, a wheelwright who built the model, claimed that he was the sole constructor of it and that Gale had only acted as an agent communicating with the society. Hillfyer then unsuccessfully filed a fifty-pound damage suit againt Gale.
He also owned two
acres
The acre is a unit of land area used in the imperial and US customary systems. It is traditionally defined as the area of one chain by one furlong (66 by 660 feet), which is exactly equal to 10 square chains, of a square mile, 4,840 square ...
of land within a mile of his residence and acquired six slaves, and managed 200 further acres of land in 1767, on his wife's inheritance of his father-in-law. Later, he constructed a "mansion house", which was then used as a tavern after his death.
1747–1773 Political activities and the pamphlet war against Thomas Clap
Gale was firstly elected
justice of the peace in May 1747, serving continuously for twenty-two years until 1773, except for four years from 1755 to 1759, due to the
French and Indian War
The French and Indian War (1754–1763) was a theater of the Seven Years' War, which pitted the North American colonies of the British Empire against those of the French, each side being supported by various Native American tribes. At the ...
causing him to have heavy responsibilities as a Killingworth
state representative, in which capacity he served from May 1747 to October 1770. He was allied with the
Old Lights, due to his unwillingness to accept the strict
Calvinism
Calvinism (also called the Reformed Tradition, Reformed Protestantism, Reformed Christianity, or simply Reformed) is a major branch of Protestantism that follows the theological tradition and forms of Christian practice set down by John Ca ...
of the
New Lights, and when
governor
A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...
Roger Wolcott was voted out of office in 1754, it is thought that one factor was him dropping the repressive laws against the New Lights, of which Gale and other Old Lights were of opposition, which was criticized by a political enemy, hinting to the fact that he was the reason Wolcott was voted out, as Gale was considered a leader of the Old Lights in Connecticut politics.
Subsequently in 1755, Gale began his
avocation
An avocation is an activity that someone engages in as a hobby outside their main occupation. There are many examples of people whose professions were the ways that they made their livings, but for whom their activities outside their workplaces ...
of added control and launched a political attack on
Yale
Yale University is a private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. Established in 1701 as the Collegiate School, it is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and among the most prestigious in the wor ...
president
President most commonly refers to:
*President (corporate title)
* President (education), a leader of a college or university
* President (government title)
President may also refer to:
Automobiles
* Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ...
Thomas Clap
Thomas Clap or Thomas Clapp (June 26, 1703 – January 7, 1767) was an American academic and educator, a Congregational minister, and college administrator. He was both the fifth rector and the earliest official to be called "president" of Yale Co ...
, who was quoted as a "calm and still judicious great Man," who was firm to the point of "absolute "Despotism", and as such seen as a strategic and vulnerable target. Gale wrote ''The Present State of the Colony of Connecticut Considered'', in which he called Clap "an Assuming, Arbitrary, Designing Man; who under a Cloak of Zeal for Orthodoxy, design’d to govern both Church and State and Damn all who would not worship the Beast", as response to Clap's pamphlet, which he wrote in 1754 at the time of Wolcott's defeat, called ''The Religious Constitution of Colleges, Especially of Yale-College'', in which he pointed out that Yale had been founded and governed by
ministers
Minister may refer to:
* Minister (Christianity), a Christian cleric
** Minister (Catholic Church)
* Minister (government), a member of government who heads a ministry (government department)
** Minister without portfolio, a member of governme ...
for the purpose of properly training the
clergy
Clergy are formal leaders within established religions. Their roles and functions vary in different religious traditions, but usually involve presiding over specific rituals and teaching their religion's doctrines and practices. Some of the ter ...
. This attack was successful, leading to a decline in standards of political decorum and an increased political bitterness, subsequently prompting a
pamphlet war with Clap throughout the next fifteen years.
The next pamphlet called ''A Letter to a Member of the Lower House of Assembly of the Colony of Connecticut: Shewing, That the Taxes at Yale-College, Are Stated Higher Than Necessary to Defray the Annual Expences'' was published in March 1759, by Gale, in which he claimed that Yale was not only making a profit of students' fees, but also that Clap should be investigated by the
Connecticut General Assembly
The Connecticut General Assembly (CGA) is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Connecticut. It is a bicameral body composed of the 151-member House of Representatives and the 36-member Senate. It meets in the state capital, Hartford. Th ...
. Though no investigation was launched, Reverend John Graham accepted the challenge of his pamphlet, causing Clap to again be the centre of another pamphlet war.
This pamphlet led to even more criticism to Clap's administration, and though Gale eventually withdrew from the controversy, his pamphlets continued to be used against Clap's administration leading to his resignation after a dramatic defense in 1766.
Later life and death
Gale helped bring attention to
Abel Buell's experiments with
type-founding, sending them to prominent
New England
New England is a region comprising six states in the Northeastern United States: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont. It is bordered by the state of New York (state), New York to the west and by the Can ...
intellectuals and some specimen to the
American Philosophical Society
The American Philosophical Society (APS), founded in 1743 in Philadelphia, is a scholarly organization that promotes knowledge in the sciences and humanities through research, professional meetings, publications, library resources, and communit ...
, of which he was one of the earliest
Connecticut
Connecticut () is the southernmost state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the south. Its capita ...
members. Along this, in 1775, he helped
David Bushnell
David Bushnell (August 30, 1740 – 1824 or 1826), of Westbrook, Connecticut, was an American inventor, a patriot, one of the first American combat engineers, a teacher, and a medical doctor.
Bushnell invented the first submarine to be used in ...
with his experiments of the
American Turtle
''Turtle'' (also called ''American Turtle'') was the world's first submersible vessel with a documented record of use in combat. It was built in 1775 by American David Bushnell as a means of attaching explosive charges to ships in a harbor ...
, providing his assistance.
An amateur vintner and distiller, Gale sent a specimen of his grape wine
Peter Collinson, who dubbed him as "the American
Bacchus
In ancient Greek religion and Greek mythology, myth, Dionysus (; grc, wikt:Διόνυσος, Διόνυσος ) is the god of the grape-harvest, winemaking, orchards and fruit, vegetation, fertility, insanity, ritual madness, religious ecstas ...
". More than ten years thereafter, he served
Ezra Stiles with a drink called "Spirits", which he had distilled from
corn syrup.
Gale was the examining surgeon for Connecticut army physicians and, in 1787, was selected as the first president of the
Connecticut Medical Society.
In 1788, Gale survived a serious illness, but two years later, he fell ill again leading to his death on May 6, 1790. After his death, a will he had written in 1788, was "Judged Illegal" by a
probate court
A probate court (sometimes called a surrogate court) is a court that has competence in a jurisdiction to deal with matters of probate and the administration of estates. In some jurisdictions, such courts may be referred to as Orphans' Courts o ...
, due to doubts about his mental competence.
Note
References
Works cited
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Gale, Benjamin
1715 births
1790 deaths
18th-century American physicians
18th-century American scientists
18th-century American inventors
American agriculturalists
Yale University alumni
Inventors from New York (state)