Franklin Benjamin Sanborn
Encyclopedia
Franklin Benjamin Sanborn (December 15, 1831 – February 24, 1917) was an American
journalist, author, and reformer. Sanborn was a social scientist
, and a memorialist of American transcendentalism
who wrote early biographies of many of the movement's key figures. He founded the American Social Science Association, in 1865, "to treat wisely the great social problems of the day." He was a member of the Secret Six
, or "Committee of Six," that funded the militant abolitionist
John Brown
.
, the son of Aaron and Lydia (Leavitt) Sanborn. He graduated Harvard
in 1855.
Republican
. He was one of the founders of, and was closely identified with, the American Social Science Association
, the National Prison Association, the National Conference of Charities, the Clarke School for the Deaf
, the Massachusetts Infant Asylum, and the Concord School of Philosophy
. From 1874 to 1876 he was chairman of the Massachusetts State Board of Charities. He was secretary from 1863 to 1868 and a member from 1870 to 1876. In 1875 he made a searching investigation into the abuses of the Tewksbury
almshouse, and in consequence that institution was reformed. In 1879 he helped to reorganize the system of Massachusetts charities, with special reference to the care of children and insane persons, in July 1879 becoming State Inspector of Charities under the new board, serving until 1888. He lectured at Cornell
, Smith
, and Wellesley, edited writings of Thoreau, Paul Jones, J. H. Payne
, Mary Shelley
, and Thomas Love Peacock
, and also published a number of books.
. He was twice married, first to Ariana Walker in 1854 for eight days until she died. Following his first wife's death, Sanborn courted nineteen-year-old Edith Emerson, the daughter of Ralph Waldo Emerson
of Concord. Sanborn ultimately proposed to Miss Emerson in 1861, and was rejected. Sanborn apparently took offense, and launched into a series of letters to Miss Emerson's mother. Those letters apparently inflamed the Emerson family, with the result that Ralph Waldo drafted a chilly letter to Sanborn, informing Sanborn of Emerson's wife's displeasure at having been accused. The matter did not end happily, with Mrs. Emerson writing her own letter of reproach to Sanborn.
Ultimately, Sanborn begrudgingly apologized and moved on. He married as his second wife his cousin Louisa Augusta Leavitt in 1862—said to look enough like Sanborn to be his sister—the daughter of Sanborn's uncle Joseph Melcher Leavitt, a Boston merchant, with whom he had three sons. (Sanborn's other uncle was Benson Leavitt
, once a partner of his wife's father and later acting mayor of Boston
.) Louisa Leavitt had worked as a schoolteacher at the Concord school Sanborn founded. The couple were married at the Church of the Disciples in Boston by abolitionist minister James Freeman Clarke
. Their son Victor Channing Sanborn became a Chicago lawyer, and wrote frequently about his father, as well as authoring a book researching his ancestor Thomas Leavitt
's origins. Sanborn died February 24, 1917, and was buried at Sleepy Hollow Cemetery
in Concord.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
journalist, author, and reformer. Sanborn was a social scientist
Social Scientist
Social Scientist is a New Delhi based journal in social sciences and humanities published since 1972....
, and a memorialist of American transcendentalism
Transcendentalism
Transcendentalism is a philosophical movement that developed in the 1830s and 1840s in the New England region of the United States as a protest against the general state of culture and society, and in particular, the state of intellectualism at Harvard University and the doctrine of the Unitarian...
who wrote early biographies of many of the movement's key figures. He founded the American Social Science Association, in 1865, "to treat wisely the great social problems of the day." He was a member of the Secret Six
Secret Six
The Secret Six, or the Secret Committee of Six, were six wealthy and influential men who secretly funded the American abolitionist, John Brown. They were Thomas Wentworth Higginson, Samuel Gridley Howe, Theodore Parker, Franklin Benjamin Sanborn, Gerrit Smith, and George Luther Stearns...
, or "Committee of Six," that funded the militant abolitionist
Abolitionism
Abolitionism is a movement to end slavery.In western Europe and the Americas abolitionism was a movement to end the slave trade and set slaves free. At the behest of Dominican priest Bartolomé de las Casas who was shocked at the treatment of natives in the New World, Spain enacted the first...
John Brown
John Brown (abolitionist)
John Brown was an American revolutionary abolitionist, who in the 1850s advocated and practiced armed insurrection as a means to abolish slavery in the United States. He led the Pottawatomie Massacre during which five men were killed, in 1856 in Bleeding Kansas, and made his name in the...
.
Biography
Sanborn was born at Hampton Falls, New HampshireHampton Falls, New Hampshire
Hampton Falls is a New England town in Rockingham County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 2,236 at the 2010 census.-History:...
, the son of Aaron and Lydia (Leavitt) Sanborn. He graduated Harvard
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
in 1855.
Professional life
In 1856, he became secretary of the Massachusetts Kansas Commission and came into close touch with John Brown. From 1863 to 1867 Sanborn was an editor of the Boston Commonwealth, from 1867 to 1897 of the Journal of Social Science, and from 1868 to 1914 a correspondent of the SpringfieldSpringfield, Massachusetts
Springfield is the most populous city in Western New England, and the seat of Hampden County, Massachusetts, United States. Springfield sits on the eastern bank of the Connecticut River near its confluence with three rivers; the western Westfield River, the eastern Chicopee River, and the eastern...
Republican
Springfield Republican
The Republican is a newspaper based in Springfield, Massachusetts. It is owned by Newhouse Newspapers, a division of Advance Publications. It played important roles in the United States Republican Party's founding, Charles Dow's career, and the invention of the pronoun "Ms."-Beginning:Established...
. He was one of the founders of, and was closely identified with, the American Social Science Association
American Social Science Association
In 1865, at Boston, Massachusetts, a society for the study of social questions was organized and given the name American Social Science Association. The group grew to where its membership totaled about 1,000 persons. About 30 corresponding members were located in Europe...
, the National Prison Association, the National Conference of Charities, the Clarke School for the Deaf
Clarke School for the Deaf
Clarke Schools for Hearing and Speech, formerly Clarke School for the Deaf, is a private school located in Northampton, Massachusetts that specializes in educating deaf children using the oral method through the assistance of hearing aids and cochlear implants...
, the Massachusetts Infant Asylum, and the Concord School of Philosophy
Concord School of Philosophy
The Concord School of Philosophy was a lyceum-like series of summer lectures and discussions of philosophy in Concord, Massachusetts from 1879 to 1888.-History:...
. From 1874 to 1876 he was chairman of the Massachusetts State Board of Charities. He was secretary from 1863 to 1868 and a member from 1870 to 1876. In 1875 he made a searching investigation into the abuses of the Tewksbury
Tewksbury, Massachusetts
Tewksbury is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 28,961 at the 2010 census.- History :Tewksbury was first settled in 1637 and was officially incorporated in 1734 from Billerica. Like Tewksbury Township, New Jersey, it is named after the town of Tewkesbury,...
almshouse, and in consequence that institution was reformed. In 1879 he helped to reorganize the system of Massachusetts charities, with special reference to the care of children and insane persons, in July 1879 becoming State Inspector of Charities under the new board, serving until 1888. He lectured at Cornell
Cornell University
Cornell University is an Ivy League university located in Ithaca, New York, United States. It is a private land-grant university, receiving annual funding from the State of New York for certain educational missions...
, Smith
Smith College
Smith College is a private, independent women's liberal arts college located in Northampton, Massachusetts. It is the largest member of the Seven Sisters...
, and Wellesley, edited writings of Thoreau, Paul Jones, J. H. Payne
John Howard Payne
John Howard Payne was an American actor, poet, playwright, and author who had most of his theatrical career and success in London. He is today most remembered as the creator of "Home! Sweet Home!", a song he wrote in 1822 that became widely popular in the United States, Great Britain, and the...
, Mary Shelley
Mary Shelley
Mary Shelley was a British novelist, short story writer, dramatist, essayist, biographer, and travel writer, best known for her Gothic novel Frankenstein: or, The Modern Prometheus . She also edited and promoted the works of her husband, the Romantic poet and philosopher Percy Bysshe Shelley...
, and Thomas Love Peacock
Thomas Love Peacock
Thomas Love Peacock was an English satirist and author.Peacock was a close friend of Percy Bysshe Shelley and they influenced each other's work...
, and also published a number of books.
Personal life
Sanborn lived at Concord, MassachusettsConcord, Massachusetts
Concord is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, in the United States. As of the 2010 census, the town population was 17,668. Although a small town, Concord is noted for its leading roles in American history and literature.-History:...
. He was twice married, first to Ariana Walker in 1854 for eight days until she died. Following his first wife's death, Sanborn courted nineteen-year-old Edith Emerson, the daughter of Ralph Waldo Emerson
Ralph Waldo Emerson
Ralph Waldo Emerson was an American essayist, lecturer, and poet, who led the Transcendentalist movement of the mid-19th century...
of Concord. Sanborn ultimately proposed to Miss Emerson in 1861, and was rejected. Sanborn apparently took offense, and launched into a series of letters to Miss Emerson's mother. Those letters apparently inflamed the Emerson family, with the result that Ralph Waldo drafted a chilly letter to Sanborn, informing Sanborn of Emerson's wife's displeasure at having been accused. The matter did not end happily, with Mrs. Emerson writing her own letter of reproach to Sanborn.
Ultimately, Sanborn begrudgingly apologized and moved on. He married as his second wife his cousin Louisa Augusta Leavitt in 1862—said to look enough like Sanborn to be his sister—the daughter of Sanborn's uncle Joseph Melcher Leavitt, a Boston merchant, with whom he had three sons. (Sanborn's other uncle was Benson Leavitt
Benson Leavitt
Benson Leavitt was a Boston, Massachusetts, businessman, born in New Hampshire, who served as an Alderman of Boston, and later as Acting Mayor after the incumbent became incapacitated and died while in office....
, once a partner of his wife's father and later acting mayor of Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
.) Louisa Leavitt had worked as a schoolteacher at the Concord school Sanborn founded. The couple were married at the Church of the Disciples in Boston by abolitionist minister James Freeman Clarke
James Freeman Clarke
James Freeman Clarke , an American theologian and author.-Biography:Born in Hanover, New Hampshire, James Freeman Clarke attended the Boston Latin School, graduated from Harvard College in 1829, and Harvard Divinity School in 1833...
. Their son Victor Channing Sanborn became a Chicago lawyer, and wrote frequently about his father, as well as authoring a book researching his ancestor Thomas Leavitt
Thomas Leavitt (settler)
Thomas Leavitt was an English Puritan who was one of the earliest permanent settlers of the Province of New Hampshire. A farmer, Leavitt apparently followed Rev. John Wheelwright to his settlement of Exeter, New Hampshire. Later Leavitt moved on to Hampton...
's origins. Sanborn died February 24, 1917, and was buried at Sleepy Hollow Cemetery
Sleepy Hollow Cemetery, Concord
Sleepy Hollow Cemetery is a cemetery located on Bedford Street near the center of Concord, Massachusetts. The cemetery is the burial site of a number of famous Concordians, including some of the United States' greatest authors and thinkers, especially on a hill known as "Author's...
in Concord.
Works
- ThoreauHenry David ThoreauHenry David Thoreau was an American author, poet, philosopher, abolitionist, naturalist, tax resister, development critic, surveyor, historian, and leading transcendentalist...
(1872) - John Brown (1885)
- Dr. S. G. Howe (1891)
- A. Bronson AlcottAmos Bronson AlcottAmos Bronson Alcott was an American teacher, writer, philosopher, and reformer. As an educator, Alcott pioneered new ways of interacting with young students, focusing on a conversational style, and avoided traditional punishment. He hoped to perfect the human spirit and, to that end, advocated a...
: His Life and Philosophy (with William Torrey HarrisWilliam Torrey HarrisWilliam Torrey Harris was an American educator, philosopher, and lexicographer.-Early life and career:Born in North Killingly, Connecticut, he attended Phillips Andover Academy, Andover, Massachusetts. He completed two years at Yale, then moved west and taught school in St...
) (1893) - EmersonRalph Waldo EmersonRalph Waldo Emerson was an American essayist, lecturer, and poet, who led the Transcendentalist movement of the mid-19th century...
(1895) - Dr. EarleMortimer Lamson EarleMortimer Lamson Earle, Ph. D. was an American classical scholar. He was born in New York, and educated at Columbia College of Columbia University, receiving his doctorate in 1889. He was employed at Barnard College and Columbia University. He edited Euripides’ Alcestis ; Sophocles’ Œdipus...
(1898) - Personality of Thoreau (1902)
- Personality of Emerson (1903)
- A History of New Hampshire (1904)
- HawthorneNathaniel HawthorneNathaniel Hawthorne was an American novelist and short story writer.Nathaniel Hawthorne was born in 1804 in the city of Salem, Massachusetts to Nathaniel Hathorne and the former Elizabeth Clarke Manning. His ancestors include John Hathorne, a judge during the Salem Witch Trials...
(1908) - Recollections of Seventy Years (1909)
- Final Life of Thoreau (1914)
Further reading
- A. Bronson Alcott: his life and philosophy, Volume 1 Franklin Benjamin Sanborn, William Torrey Harris, John Wilson and Son, Cambridge, Mass., 1893
External links
- The Significance of Being Frank, by Tom Foran Clark
- Franklin Benjamin Sanborn Papers, 1845–1936, Concord Free Public Library, Concord, Massachusetts
See also
- Thomas Parker SanbornThomas Parker SanbornThomas Parker Sanborn was an American poet. He was born to Franklin Benjamin Sanborn and Louisa Sanborn, née Leavitt, on February 24, 1865 in Concord, Massachusetts...