John Campanius, known as Johan Campanius and Johannes Campanius, was a Swedish Lutheran priest assigned to the New Sweden colony.
16 Facts About John Campanius
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John Campanius was born in Stockholm and attended Uppsala University, where he studied theology and graduated in 1633.
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John Campanius was ordained into the Lutheran ministry during 1633.
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John Campanius served as the chaplain to the Swedish delegation in Russia in 1634.
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John Campanius then moved to Norrtalje, where he served as a schoolmaster beginning in 1636.
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John Campanius served as chaplain and preceptor of the Stockholm Orphan's Home, a position he continued in through 1642.
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John Campanius came to accompany the first Swedish settlers to Fort Christina, near present-day Wilmington, Delaware, and served as a missionary to the nearby Lenape Indians.
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John Campanius served as a replacement for the first Swedish Lutheran Minister, Reorus Torkillus who had recently died.
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John Campanius had to visit the settlers at their cabins, which ranged all the way up to Fort Nya Gothenburg on Tinicum Island.
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John Campanius began to make notable headway in evangelizing the Lenape.
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John Campanius gained a good grasp of their language, and learned how to preach to them with good effect.
12.
John Campanius transliterated their words, numbers, and common phrases for the use of later missionaries.
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John Campanius studied the traditions of the natives, and recorded them in his journal.
14.
In 1648, three other ministers were sent to New Sweden to continue his work and John Campanius was allowed to return to Sweden.
15.
John Campanius was the first person known to have taken systematic weather observations in the American Colonies.
16.
John Campanius is considered by some to be the first weatherman in America because he kept a daily record of the weather at New Sweden.