THE 



AMERICAN 



JOURNAL OF SCIENCE, &c. 



Art. I. — Memoir of the Life of F,l.i Whitney, Esq.* 



The memory of the late Mr. Whitney is so fondly cherished by 

 his fellow citizens, oat of respect to his distinguished talents, his pri- 

 vate virtues, and his public spirit, and his name holds so honorable 

 a place among the benefactors of our country, that the wish has 

 often been intimated to us of seeing a more extended biography of 

 him, than has hitherto been given to the public. 



We now enter with pleasure upon such a task ; and to enable us 

 to do the better justice to the subject, we have been favored with 

 access to his extensive correspondence, and all his other writings, and 

 have conferred freely with various persons, who were long and inti- 

 mately acquainted with him. 



Eli Whitney was born at Westborough, Worcester County, 

 Massachusetts, December 8, 1765. His parents belonged to the 

 middle class in society, who, by the labors of husbandry, managed, 

 by uniform industry and strict frugality, to provide well for a rising 

 family. From the same class have arisen most of those who, in 

 New England, have attained to high eminence and usefulness j nor 

 is any other situation in society so favorable to the early formation of 

 those habits of economy, both of time and money, which, when car- 

 ried forward into the study of the scholar, or the field of active en- 

 terprise, afford the surest pledge of success. 



The paternal ancestors of Mr. Whitney, emigrated from England 

 among the early settlers of Massachusetts, and their descendants were 

 among the most respectable farmers of Worcester County. His 

 maternal ancestors, of the name of Fay, were also English emigrants, 

 and ranked among the substantial yeomanry of Massachusetts. A 



* The editor is indebted exclusively to Prof. Olmsted, for this article. 



Vol. XXL— No 2. 26 



