John Bradford (1749–1830) was an early

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

settler A settler is a person who has human migration, migrated to an area and established a permanent residence there, often to colonize the area. A settler who migrates to an area previously uninhabited or sparsely inhabited may be described as a ...

Kentucky Kentucky ( , ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States and one of the states of the Upper South. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north; West Virginia and Virginia to ...

, where he established himself as one of the territory's leading

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Biography

Bradford was born in

Prince William County, Virginia Prince William County is located on the Potomac River in the U.S. state of Virginia. As of the 2020 census, the population sits at 482,204, making it Virginia's second-most populous county. Its county seat is the independent city of Manassas ...

in 1749. He first arrived in Kentucky with a surveying party in 1775. He moved his family there in 1784 or 1785. Although he had little experience in printing or editing, he founded the ''

Kentucky Gazette The ''Kentucky Gazette'', or ''Kentucke Gazette'', was the first newspaper published in the state of Kentucky. It was started in Lexington by Fielding and John Bradford John Bradford (1510–1555) was an English Reformer, prebendary of St. ...

'' in 1787. It was the first newspaper printed in Kentucky and had no rivals within 500 miles until 1795. It remains in circulation today. He also printed the first book published in Kentucky, a compilation of the first session of the

Kentucky legislature The Kentucky General Assembly, also called the Kentucky Legislature, is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Kentucky. It comprises the Kentucky Senate and the Kentucky House of Representatives. The General Assembly meets annually in t ...

in 1792, shortly after Kentucky became the 15th state of the United States. Bradford also contributed to the founding of

Transylvania University Transylvania University is a private university in Lexington, Kentucky. It was founded in 1780 and was the first university in Kentucky. It offers 46 major programs, as well as dual-degree engineering programs, and is accredited by the Southern ...

. He was chairman of the Board of Trustees of that university from 1793 until his death in 1830.

Historical article series

In August 1828, Bradford began a series of 66 newspaper articles that chronicled the history of Kentucky. Most of the articles concern events that occurred before 1800, with the exception of some articles about controversies at Transylvania University. The articles dealt with four main topics. The first was the warfare with Native Americans that had occurred through the 1790s. Bradford cast the settlers in a favorable light in this struggle. The second topic was the effort to secure free use of the

Mississippi River The Mississippi River is the second-longest river and chief river of the second-largest drainage system in North America, second only to the Hudson Bay drainage system. From its traditional source of Lake Itasca in northern Minnesota, it f ...

and port at

New Orleans New Orleans ( , ,New Orleans
Merriam-Webster. ; french: La Nouvelle-Orléans , es, Nuev ...

from

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , i ...

. This was a valuable outlet for surplus produce during the formation of the state. Third, Bradford chronicled the series of ten conventions that led to Kentucky's separation from

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...

and admittance into the union in 1792. The articles concerning events at Transylvania University constitute the fourth topic.

Biography

Historical article series

See also

References

Further reading