Ainsworth Rand Spofford facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Ainsworth Rand Spofford
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Ainsworth Rand Spofford
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| 6th Librarian of Congress | |
| In office December 31, 1864 – July 1, 1897 |
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| President | |
| Preceded by | John Gould Stephenson |
| Succeeded by | John Russell Young |
| Personal details | |
| Born | September 12, 1825 Gilmanton, New Hampshire, U.S. |
| Died | August 11, 1908 (aged 82) Holderness, New Hampshire, U.S. |
| Resting place | Rock Creek Cemetery Washington, D.C., U.S. |
| Occupation | |
Ainsworth Rand Spofford (born September 12, 1825 – died August 11, 1908) was an American journalist and writer. He became the sixth Librarian of Congress. He held this important job from 1864 to 1897. During his time, ten different presidents were in office. Spofford greatly admired Benjamin Franklin. He even wrote a long introduction for Franklin's autobiography, which he also helped publish.
Early Life and Career
Ainsworth Rand Spofford was born in Gilmanton, New Hampshire. He couldn't go to college because of poor health. Instead, at age 19, he moved to Cincinnati, Ohio. There, he started working with books and newspapers. He became a bookseller, a publisher, and a newspaper writer.
In 1849, Spofford helped start the Literary Club of Cincinnati. This club was a place for thinkers and writers to meet. Famous people like Rutherford B. Hayes and Ralph Waldo Emerson were part of it or visited.
Spofford strongly believed in fairness and freedom. In 1851, he wrote a pamphlet called The Higher Law. This writing spoke out against the Fugitive Slave Law. This law made it harder for enslaved people to escape to freedom. Spofford argued that "Injustice is the only treason." This meant that unfairness was the real betrayal. He believed no law could make injustice right.
Later, in 1859, Spofford became an editor for a newspaper called the Cincinnati Commercial. He was also active in politics. He was a member of the Republican Party.
In 1861, Spofford moved to Washington, D.C.. He first worked as the Chief Assistant Librarian of Congress. This was under the Librarian of Congress, John Gould Stephenson. When Stephenson decided to retire, Spofford worked hard to get support for the job. President Abraham Lincoln then chose Spofford to be the new Librarian of Congress in 1864.
Librarian of Congress: Building a National Library
Ainsworth Rand Spofford served as the Librarian of Congress for 33 years. This was from 1864 to 1897. During his time, the library grew a lot. It changed from mainly serving Congress to becoming a national treasure.
Spofford believed that a strong government needed a lot of knowledge. He wanted the library to be a huge collection of all the nation's writings. When he started, the library had about 60,000 items. By the time he left, it had over one million!
One big way the library grew was through a new copyright law. Spofford helped pass this law on July 8, 1870. This law said that two copies of every new book, map, photo, or piece of music published in the U.S. had to be sent to the Library of Congress. This made the library a huge collection of American culture. It also made the Library of Congress the official national library of the United States.
The library quickly ran out of space in the Capitol building. Spofford saw this problem. He suggested building a brand new, separate building for the library in 1872. It took many years of discussions and planning. Books and boxes were piled everywhere because there wasn't enough room. Finally, in 1886, Congress approved money for the new building. Construction began in 1888. The beautiful new building was finished in 1897. Today, it is known as the Thomas Jefferson Building.
In 1897, Spofford decided to step down as the main Librarian. He let a younger librarian, John Russell Young, take over. Spofford then went back to his old job as Chief Assistant Librarian. He stayed in that role until he passed away.
See also
In Spanish: Ainsworth Rand Spofford para niños
