1738 – Ethan Allen was born. His book, Reason: The Only Oracle of Man, strongly influenced the Universalist theology of Hosea Ballou. Allen and his brothers assembled the Green Mountain Boys in what is now Vermont. While leading troops in the American Revolution, he was captured and made a British prisoner of war from 1775-1778. … Continue reading This Day in Unitarian Universalist History January 21

1856 – Harriot Stanton Blatch was born in Seneca Falls, New York. She helped Susan B. Anthony complete the three-volume History of Woman Suffrage and worked on that cause in England for twenty years before writing Mobilizing Woman Power. The post January 20 first appeared on Harvard Square Library. Read more at: www.HarvardSquareLibrary.org – the … Continue reading This Day in Unitarian Universalist History January 20

1561 After being forced to sign a confession of faith at a synod in Poland, George Blandrata, a Socinian, left Poland for Transylvania where he served as court physician to Prince John Sigismund, who had recently converted to Unitarianism. The post January 19 first appeared on Harvard Square Library. Read more at: www.HarvardSquareLibrary.org – the … Continue reading This Day in Unitarian Universalist History January 19

1778 – Joseph Tuckerman was born in Boston. He became the first Unitarian minister-at-large to assist the needy. In 1834, he founded the Benevolent Fraternity of Churches in Boston, which became a major influence on the development of professional social work. Read more about Joseph Tuckerman at: www.HarvardSquareLibrary.org – the digital library of Unitarian Universalism. … Continue reading This Day in Unitarian Universalist History January 18

1898 – Lady Frances Anna Maria Russell, who helped to organize the Unitarian church in Richmond, Surrey, England, died. Her grandson was philosopher Bertrand Russell. The post January 17 first appeared on Harvard Square Library. Read more at: www.HarvardSquareLibrary.org – the digital library of Unitarian Universalism.

1876 – Edmund Hamilton Sears, Unitarian missionary, parish minister, and hymn writer who composed “It Came Upon the Midnight Clear,” died. Read more about Edmund Hamilton Sears at: www.HarvardSquareLibrary.org – the digital library of Unitarian Universalism. The post January 16 first appeared on Harvard Square Library.

1893 – Fanny Kemble, famous English actress turned American abolitionist, died. She was heavily influenced by Unitarians William Ellery Channing and Lydia Maria Child. After marrying a Philadelphia gentleman who owned plantations and slaves in Georgia, she was appalled at slavery, divorced her husband, and joined the abolition movement, publishing her Journal of a Residence … Continue reading This Day in Unitarian Universalist History January 15

1875 – Albert Schweitzer was born. He became a medical missionary in Africa after earning doctorates not only in medicine but also in theology, philosophy, and music. An eminent author of books on Bach, Jesus, civilization, and ethics, he was a member of the Unitarian Church of Capetown, South Africa. Read more about Albert Schweitzer … Continue reading This Day in Unitarian Universalist History January 14

1568 Prince John Sigismund converted to Unitarianism after Unitarian minister Francis Dávid, won debates with a Calvinist Bishop in Transylvania at the Diet of Torda. The prince then issued the Edict of Torda, declaring toleration for other religions. The post January 13 first appeared on Harvard Square Library. Read more at: www.HarvardSquareLibrary.org – the digital … Continue reading This Day in Unitarian Universalist History January 13

1737 – John Hancock, a leading American patriot, was born. He inherited his uncle’s mercantile business, was the president of the Continental Congress, and became the first to sign the Declaration of Independence. He was chair of the building committee of Boston’s Unitarian Brattle Street Church, of which he was a member. The post January … Continue reading This Day in Unitarian Universalist History January 12