19 Facts About Elihu Burritt

Elihu Burritt was an American diplomat, philanthropist, social activist, and blacksmith.

Elihu Burritt was a prolific lecturer, journalist and writer who traveled widely in the United States and Europe.

Elihu Burritt was born December 8,1810, in New Britain, Connecticut.

Elihu Burritt's sobriquet "Learned Blacksmith" arose from a period when he earned a living as a blacksmith in Worcester, Massachusetts.

Elihu Burritt founded a weekly paper, the Christian Citizen, in Worcester in 1844.

Elihu Burritt was given the chance to take over as editor of The Advocate of Peace, the organ of the American Peace Society, but Beckwith employed delaying tactics.

When Elihu Burritt came into post at the beginning of 1846, he renamed the publication as The Advocate of Peace and Universal Brotherhood.

Elihu Burritt travelled widely around a new home in Harborne, then a rural village, largely on foot.

Elihu Burritt was sympathetic to the industrial and political culture of Birmingham, and became a friend of many of its leading citizens, so that what he wrote about it was largely positive.

Elihu Burritt was actively involved the local community, taking part in the committee for the rebuilding of St Peter's Church, Harborne.

Elihu Burritt founded the peace organization the League of Universal Brotherhood in 1846.

Elihu Burritt launched it at Pershore, and it was supported by Sturge, James Silk Buckingham, and John Jefferson of the London Peace Society.

Elihu Burritt organized the first international congress of the Friends of Peace, which convened in Brussels in September 1848.

Elihu Burritt attended the "Peace Congresses" at Frankfurt in 1850, London in 1851, Manchester in 1852 and Edinburgh in 1853.

Elihu Burritt returned to New England, taking an interest in farming and agricultural methods.

Elihu Burritt advocated that Britain, which introduced the Uniform Penny Post in 1840, should introduce an international "ocean penny post" and reduce the cost from one shilling to threepence.

Elihu Burritt argued this would increase international correspondence, trade, and hence universal brotherhood.

Elihu Burritt was appointed United States consul in Birmingham, England by Abraham Lincoln in 1864.

Elihu Burritt died on March 6,1879, in New Britain, Connecticut.