Jeremiah N. Reynolds facts for kids
Jeremiah N. Reynolds (born in 1799, died in 1858) was an American newspaper editor, speaker, explorer, and writer. He became a strong supporter of scientific expeditions. His talks about the idea of a hollow Earth seem to have influenced Edgar Allan Poe's book The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym of Nantucket (1838). Also, Reynolds' 1839 story about the whale Mocha Dick, called Mocha Dick: Or the White Whale of the Pacific, influenced Herman Melville's famous novel Moby-Dick (1851).
Contents
Early Life and Ideas
Jeremiah N. Reynolds was born into a poor family in Pennsylvania. As a child, he moved to Ohio. During his teenage years and early twenties, he worked on farms and taught at schools. He saved his money and studied at Ohio University for three years. After that, he worked as an editor for the Spectator newspaper in Ohio. He sold his share in the newspaper around 1823.
The next year, Reynolds began giving lectures with John Cleves Symmes Jr.. Reynolds had started to believe in Symmes' theory that the Earth is hollow. They both gave talks about this idea. When Symmes passed away, Reynolds continued the lectures on his own. These talks were very popular in cities across the eastern U.S., and people paid 50 cents to attend. Over time, Reynolds became more open to the possibility that the "hollow Earth" theory might not be true.
Exciting Expeditions
Reynolds gained support from members of President John Quincy Adams' government. He also spoke to the United States Congress (the main law-making body of the U.S. government). He successfully arranged for a national expedition (a long journey for a special purpose) to the South Pole. However, Andrew Jackson did not support the project. When Jackson became president, the expedition was stopped.
Reynolds then found support from private individuals. The expedition sailed from New York City in 1829. They faced many dangers but reached the Antarctic shore. On their way back north, at Valparaíso, Chile, the crew rebelled. The rebellious crew members left Reynolds and an artist named John Frampton Watson on shore. They had to travel on foot for the next two years.
In 1832, the United States frigate Potomac arrived. This was a large warship led by Commodore John Downes. The ship had been sent to Sumatra to get revenge for an attack on an American ship. It was returning home, completing a trip around the world. Reynolds joined Commodore Downes as his private secretary for the journey. He later wrote a book about his experiences on this trip.
Later Years and Legacy
After returning to New York City, Reynolds studied law and became a successful lawyer. In 1848, he started a company in New York City for a mining operation in New Mexico.
Reynolds missed joining the important United States Exploring Expedition of 1838–1842. This expedition was actually started because of his strong efforts to make it happen. He did not participate because he had upset too many people while pushing for the trip.
His health declined, and he passed away suddenly on August 25, 1858, at the age of 59. He was visiting St. Catharine Springs in Canada at the time.
Influence on Famous Writers
In January 1837, the Southern Literary Messenger magazine published a review by Edgar Allan Poe. Poe reviewed Reynolds' "Address, on the Subject of a Surveying and Exploring Expedition to the Pacific Ocean and South Seas" (1836). This speech was first given to the House of Representatives on April 2, 1836.
Daniel Tynan, a writer from Colorado College, noted that Poe used about 700 words from Reynolds' speech in Chapter XVI of his book The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym. Tynan also showed how much Poe borrowed from Reynolds' book for his own story.
In May 1839, The Knickerbocker magazine published Reynolds' story "Mocha Dick: Or the White Whale of the Pacific." This story was about Mocha Dick, a large white sperm whale off the coast of Chile. This whale bothered whalers for 30 years before finally being caught. This famous story greatly influenced Herman Melville's novel Moby-Dick.
Reynolds also appears as a character in some modern books. He is in the novel Our Plague, A Film from New York (1993) by James Chapman. He also appears in Félix J. Palma's The Map of the Sky.
See also
In Spanish: Jeremiah N. Reynolds para niños
