Hugh Henry Brackenridge (1748June 25, 1816) was an American writer, lawyer, judge, and justice of the
Supreme Court of Pennsylvania
The Supreme Court of Pennsylvania is the highest court in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania's Unified Judicial System. It also claims to be the oldest appellate court in the United States, a claim that is disputed by the Massachusetts Supreme ...
.
A frontier citizen in
Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, Allegheny County. It is the most populous city in both Allegheny County and Wester ...
, Pennsylvania, United States, he founded both the Pittsburgh Academy, now the
University of Pittsburgh
The University of Pittsburgh (Pitt) is a public state-related research university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The university is composed of 17 undergraduate and graduate schools and colleges at its urban Pittsburgh campus, home to the universit ...
, and the ''Pittsburgh Gazette'', still operating today as the ''
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
The ''Pittsburgh Post-Gazette'', also known simply as the PG, is the largest newspaper serving metropolitan Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Descended from the ''Pittsburgh Gazette'', established in 1786 as the first newspaper published west of the All ...
''.
Life
Brackenridge was born in
Campbeltown
Campbeltown (; gd, Ceann Loch Chille Chiarain or ) is a town and former royal burgh in Argyll and Bute, Scotland. It lies by Campbeltown Loch on the Kintyre peninsula. Campbeltown became an important centre for Scotch whisky, and a busy fishing ...
a small town on the Kintyre peninsula in Scotland. In 1753, when he was 5, his family emigrated to
York County, Pennsylvania
York County ( Pennsylvania Dutch: Yarrick Kaundi) is a county in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. As of the 2020 census, the population was 456,438. Its county seat is York. The county was created on August 19, 1749, from part of Lancaster ...
, near the
Maryland
Maryland ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It shares borders with Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware and the Atlantic Ocean to ...
border, then a frontier. At age 15 he was head of a free school in Maryland. At age 19 he entered the College of New Jersey, now
Princeton University
Princeton University is a private university, private research university in Princeton, New Jersey. Founded in 1746 in Elizabeth, New Jersey, Elizabeth as the College of New Jersey, Princeton is the List of Colonial Colleges, fourth-oldest ins ...
, where he joined
Philip Morin Freneau
Philip Morin Freneau (January 2, 1752 – December 18, 1832) was an American poet, nationalist, polemicist, sea captain and early American newspaper editor, sometimes called the "Poet of the American Revolution". Through his newspaper, th ...
,
James Madison
James Madison Jr. (March 16, 1751June 28, 1836) was an American statesman, diplomat, and Founding Father. He served as the fourth president of the United States from 1809 to 1817. Madison is hailed as the "Father of the Constitution" for hi ...
, and others in forming the American Whig Society to counter the conservative Cliosophic, or
Tory
A Tory () is a person who holds a political philosophy known as Toryism, based on a British version of traditionalism and conservatism, which upholds the supremacy of social order as it has evolved in the English culture throughout history. Th ...
, Society. (Today these are conjoined as the
American Whig–Cliosophic Society.) Freneau and Brackenridge collaborated on a satire on American manners that may be the first work of prose fiction written in America, ''
Father Bombo's Pilgrimage to Mecca
''Father Bombo's Pilgrimage to Mecca'' (alternatively titled ''Father Bombo's Pilgrimage to Mecca in Arabia'' in variant fragments of the text that survive) is an orientalism, Orientalist prose satire and picaresque mock-epic coauthored by Philip F ...
'' . They also wrote ''The Rising Glory of America'', a prophetic poem of a united nation that would rule the North American
continent
A continent is any of several large landmasses. Generally identified by convention rather than any strict criteria, up to seven geographical regions are commonly regarded as continents. Ordered from largest in area to smallest, these seven ...
from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean. Brackenridge recited it at the
commencement exercises of 1771.
After his graduation, Brackenridge remained another year to study divinity. In 1772 he became headmaster of
Somerset Academy in
Somerset County, Maryland
Somerset County is the southernmost county in the U.S. state of Maryland. As of the 2020 census, the population was 24,620, making it the second-least populous county in Maryland. The county seat is Princess Anne.
The county was named for Mary, ...
, with Freneau as his assistant. He went back to Princeton for a Master's degree, and then served in
George Washington
George Washington (February 22, 1732, 1799) was an American military officer, statesman, and Founding Father who served as the first president of the United States from 1789 to 1797. Appointed by the Continental Congress as commander of th ...
's army as a chaplain, preaching fiery patriotic sermons to the soldiers of the
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was a major war of the American Revolution. Widely considered as the war that secured the independence of t ...
. He started the ''United States Magazine'' in
Philadelphia
Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...
in 1778, where he published poems by his friend Freneau, but its lagging subscriptions convinced him to change his profession. He took a law degree, studying under
Samuel Chase
Samuel Chase (April 17, 1741 – June 19, 1811) was a Founding Father of the United States, a signatory to the Continental Association and United States Declaration of Independence as a representative of Maryland, and an Associate Justice of th ...
in
Annapolis, Maryland
Annapolis ( ) is the capital city of the U.S. state of Maryland and the county seat of, and only incorporated city in, Anne Arundel County. Situated on the Chesapeake Bay at the mouth of the Severn River, south of Baltimore and about east o ...
, and was admitted to the bar in Philadelphia in 1780 at age 32. Of Philadelphia he wrote, "I saw no chance for being anything in that city, there were such great men before me." Four months later he struck out for the frontier, 300 miles to the west, over the
Appalachian Mountains
The Appalachian Mountains, often called the Appalachians, (french: Appalaches), are a system of mountains in eastern to northeastern North America. The Appalachians first formed roughly 480 million years ago during the Ordovician Period. They ...
.
In 1781 Pittsburgh was a village of 400 inhabitants, most
Scots, like himself,
Scots-Irish, and
Germans
, native_name_lang = de
, region1 =
, pop1 = 72,650,269
, region2 =
, pop2 = 534,000
, region3 =
, pop3 = 157,000
3,322,405
, region4 =
, pop4 = ...
. His aim, he wrote, in "offering myself to the place" was "to advance the country and thereby myself."
In Pittsburgh he helped establish the first western newspaper, the ''Pittsburgh Gazette'', in 1786. He was elected in 1786 to the Pennsylvania state assembly, where he fought for the adoption of the federal Constitution, and obtained state endowments in 1787 for the establishment of the Pittsburgh Academy (
University of Pittsburgh
The University of Pittsburgh (Pitt) is a public state-related research university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The university is composed of 17 undergraduate and graduate schools and colleges at its urban Pittsburgh campus, home to the universit ...
), modeled on
Benjamin Franklin
Benjamin Franklin ( April 17, 1790) was an American polymath who was active as a writer, scientist, inventor, statesman, diplomat, printer, publisher, and political philosopher. Encyclopædia Britannica, Wood, 2021 Among the leading inte ...
's
Academy of Philadelphia
The University of Pennsylvania (also known as Penn or UPenn) is a private research university in Philadelphia. It is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and is ranked among the highest-regarded universi ...
(
University of Pennsylvania
The University of Pennsylvania (also known as Penn or UPenn) is a private research university in Philadelphia. It is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and is ranked among the highest-regarded universitie ...
). He also played a role in the little-known
Westsylvania
Westsylvania was a proposed state of the United States located in what is now West Virginia, southwestern Pennsylvania, and small parts of Kentucky, Maryland, and Virginia. First proposed early in the American Revolution, Westsylvania would have ...
dispute, siding with Pennsylvania that the western lands should not become a 14th state.
He lost a bid for re-election because he opposed popular sentiment in supporting federal controls. At a dinner hosted by Chief Justice
Thomas McKean
Thomas McKean (March 19, 1734June 24, 1817) was an American lawyer, politician, and Founding Father. During the American Revolution, he was a Delaware delegate to the Continental Congress, where he signed the Continental Association, the United ...
, Brackenridge stated that "the people are fools; if they would let
Mr. Morris alone, he would make Pennsylvania a great people, but they will not suffer him to do it." Another legislator at the party,
William Findley
William Findley (c. 1741 – April 4, 1821) was an Irish-born farmer and politician from Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania. He served in both houses of the state legislature and represented Pennsylvania in the U.S. House from 1791 until 1799 and ...
, published an account of the remarks, and the subsequent controversy led to Brackenridge's electoral defeat. Brackenridge also nearly lost his life when he attempted to mediate the
Whiskey Rebellion
The Whiskey Rebellion (also known as the Whiskey Insurrection) was a violent tax protest in the United States beginning in 1791 and ending in 1794 during the presidency of George Washington. The so-called "whiskey tax" was the first tax impo ...
.
He ran for the
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the legislature of the federal government of the United States. It is bicameral, composed of a lower body, the House of Representatives, and an upper body, the Senate. It meets in the U.S. Capitol in Washing ...
, but was soundly defeated by
Albert Gallatin
Abraham Alfonse Albert Gallatin (January 29, 1761 – August 12, 1849) was a Genevan– American politician, diplomat, ethnologist and linguist. Often described as "America's Swiss Founding Father", he was a leading figure in the early years ...
. The formation of
Allegheny County is largely due to Brackenridge's efforts. In December 1799 Governor
Thomas McKean
Thomas McKean (March 19, 1734June 24, 1817) was an American lawyer, politician, and Founding Father. During the American Revolution, he was a Delaware delegate to the Continental Congress, where he signed the Continental Association, the United ...
appointed him a justice of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court.
He corresponded with other politically active men such as
Alexander Addison, a major figure in the Whiskey Rebellion.
In 1815 he completed ''
Modern Chivalry
''Modern Chivalry: Containing the Adventures of Captain John Farrago and Teague O'Regan, His servant'' is a rambling, satirical American novel by Hugh Henry Brackenridge, a Pittsburgh writer, lawyer, judge, and justice of the Pennsylvania Suprem ...
'', his rambling satirical novel. Widely considered the first important fictional work about the American frontier and called "to the West what
Don Quixote
is a Spanish epic novel by Miguel de Cervantes. Originally published in two parts, in 1605 and 1615, its full title is ''The Ingenious Gentleman Don Quixote of La Mancha'' or, in Spanish, (changing in Part 2 to ). A founding work of Wester ...
was to Europe," the third and fourth sections of the book appeared in 1793 and 1797, and a revision in 1805, with a final addition in 1815.
Henry Adams
Henry Brooks Adams (February 16, 1838 – March 27, 1918) was an American historian and a member of the Adams political family, descended from two U.S. Presidents.
As a young Harvard graduate, he served as secretary to his father, Charles Fr ...
called it "a more thoroughly American book than any written before 1833."
Brackenridge died June 25, 1816 in
Carlisle, Pennsylvania
Carlisle is a Borough (Pennsylvania), borough in and the county seat of Cumberland County, Pennsylvania, United States. Carlisle is located within the Cumberland Valley, a highly productive agricultural region. As of the 2020 United States census, ...
.
The Allegheny County
borough
A borough is an administrative division in various English-speaking countries. In principle, the term ''borough'' designates a self-governing walled town, although in practice, official use of the term varies widely.
History
In the Middle Ag ...
of
Brackenridge, Pennsylvania
Brackenridge is a borough in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States, located along the Allegheny River. It is part of the Greater Pittsburgh metropolitan area.
The town is named for Henry Marie Brackenridge. The borough once had glass f ...
, is named for his son, the lawyer, judge, and writer
Henry Marie Brackenridge
Henry Marie Brackenridge (May 11, 1786 – January 18, 1871) was an American writer, lawyer, judge, superintendent, and U.S. Congressman from Pennsylvania.
Born in Pittsburgh in 1786, he was educated by his father, the writer and judge Hugh ...
(1786–1871).
Works
* 1776. ''The Battle of Bunker Hill.'' A blank-verse tragedy for performance by his students at the Somerset Academy in Maryland, where he was a master. It features contrasting views by Revolutionary leaders and the British.
* 1777. ''The Death of General Montgomery at the Siege of Quebec.'' A second patriotic drama for production at Maryland's Somerset Academy, where he was a master, is about the ill-fated attack on Quebec.
* 1783. ''*Brackenridge, H. H., ed. ''Indian Atrocities: Narratives of the Perils and Sufferings of Dr. Knight and John Slover, among the Indians during the Revolutionary War, with Short Memoirs of Col. Crawford & John Slover.'' Cincinnati, 1867. Knight and Slover's
captivity narrative
Captivity narratives are usually stories of people captured by enemies whom they consider uncivilized, or whose beliefs and customs they oppose. The best-known captivity narratives in North America are those concerning Europeans and Americans ta ...
s, often printed under various titles and in other collections, including ''A Selection of the Most Interesting Narratives of Outrages Committed by the Indians…'' (ed. Archibald Loudon, 1808).
* 1792. ''Modern Chivalry.'' The first two parts of Brackenridge's satirical novel appear.
* 1795. ''Incidents of the Insurrection in the Western Parts of Pennsylvania.'' Covers the conflict between the federal government and the local insurgents during the Whiskey Rebellion.
* 1814 ''Law Miscellanies.'' Essays concerning Pennsylvania law, federal statutes, judgments of the U.S. Supreme Court, and the employment of English common law in the American legal system.
* 1815. ''Modern Chivalry.'' Additions completed to his four-volume novel.
References
Bibliography
* Wood, Gordon S. (2009). ''Empire of Liberty: A History of the Early Republic, 1789–1815''. Oxford University Press.
References
*
*
*
* O'Toole, James (2000)
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Profile of Its Founder Hugh Henry Brackenridge Retrieved November 27, 2005.
* Hogeland, William. ''The Whiskey Rebellion - George Washington, Alexander Hamilton, and the Frontier Rebels Who Challenged America's Newfound Sovereignty'', 2006.
External links
*
*
*
ttps://archive.org/details/EducatingADemocracyHughHenryBrackenridge "EDUCATING A DEMOCRACY: Hugh Henry Brackenridge" – selections from his writings
{{DEFAULTSORT:Brackenridge, Hugh Henry
1748 births
1816 deaths
People from Kintyre
Scottish emigrants to the Thirteen Colonies
Princeton University alumni
18th-century American novelists
18th-century American male writers
19th-century American novelists
Justices of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania
People of the Whiskey Rebellion
University and college founders
American newspaper founders
18th-century American dramatists and playwrights
Politicians from Pittsburgh
American military chaplains
American Revolution chaplains
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette people
Writers from Pittsburgh
American male novelists
American male dramatists and playwrights
19th-century American male writers
Novelists from Pennsylvania
19th-century American lawyers