Jonathan Blanchard (abolitionist) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Jonathan Blanchard
Born	January 19, 1811 Rockingham, Vermont, U.S.
Died	May 14, 1892 (1892-05-15) (aged 81) Wheaton, Illinois, U.S.
Nationality	American
Education	Middlebury College Lane Seminary
Occupation	Abolitionist, College President, Editor
Political party	Liberty, Free Soil, Anti-Masonic
Spouse(s)	Mary Avery Bent
Children	12, including Charles A. Blanchard

Jonathan Blanchard (January 19, 1811 – May 14, 1892) was an American pastor, teacher, and social reformer. He was also a strong supporter of the movement to end slavery, known as an abolitionist.

Born in Vermont, Blanchard went to Middlebury College. After college, he taught in New York. In 1834, he decided to study at Andover Theological Seminary. However, he left in 1836 because the school did not support the American Anti-Slavery Society. Blanchard then joined this group and became one of Theodore Dwight Weld's "seventy" speakers. He traveled to southern Pennsylvania to preach against slavery.

Blanchard finished his studies at Lane Seminary in 1838. Soon after, he became a pastor at Sixth Presbyterian Church in Cincinnati, Ohio. While there, he helped publish an abolitionist newspaper called The Philanthropist. He also represented Ohio at the 1843 World Anti-Slavery Convention. In 1845, he became president of Knox College in Illinois. He later founded Wheaton College in 1860 and led it until 1882.

After the Civil War, Blanchard focused on fighting against secret societies. He helped lead the Anti-Masonic party. His son, Charles Albert, later became president of Wheaton College. The college's Blanchard Hall is named after both of them.

Jonathan Blanchard's Early Life and Education

Jonathan Blanchard was born in Rockingham, Vermont, on January 19, 1811. He was one of fifteen children. When he was three, he heard about the War of 1812. This event later helped him develop his belief in peace. As a child, Blanchard went to public schools and worked on his family's farm. At age fourteen, he started his first job as a teacher.

After studying at Chester Academy, Blanchard went to Middlebury College in 1828. He graduated in 1831 and became a teacher at Plattsburg Academy in Plattsburgh, New York. He taught for two years but felt it wasn't the right path for him.

Becoming an Abolitionist Leader

In 1834, Blanchard became an abolitionist. He believed that slavery went against the teachings of the Bible. He then enrolled at the Andover Theological Seminary in Andover, Massachusetts. The school asked students to reject abolitionist ideas. Blanchard left the school in 1836 to join the American Anti-Slavery Society (AASS). The society sent him to preach in southern Pennsylvania. In 1837, people in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania threw stones at him. Despite this, he was very effective in convincing others to join the abolitionist cause. He is even credited with converting Thaddeus Stevens to the cause.

The next year, Blanchard moved to Cincinnati, Ohio, to attend Lane Seminary. He graduated in 1838. He helped publish an abolitionist newspaper, The Philanthropist. After the Cincinnati riots of 1836, the newspaper had to close. Blanchard became a pastor at Sixth Presbyterian Church in Cincinnati. This church allowed him to share his anti-slavery ideas while staying within mainstream Christianity.

In 1841, Blanchard started the Presbyterian of the West, a weekly religious newspaper. In 1843, he went to the World Anti-Slavery Convention in London, England. He represented the Ohio State Anti-Slavery Society and was chosen as an American vice president. In 1845, Blanchard debated another minister about slavery in Cincinnati. This debate was later published as a book. Blanchard also began speaking out against secret societies like Freemasonry in 1845. He believed they were wrong because they sometimes refused help to members' families.

Leading Colleges and Fighting for Change

In 1845, Jonathan Blanchard became president of Knox College in Galesburg, Illinois. This school was started by social reformers who wanted to end slavery. The college was in debt, but Blanchard helped it become financially stable. The Old Main building, now a famous landmark, was built during his time there.

Blanchard strongly criticized Senator Stephen A. Douglas for supporting laws that allowed slavery. He even debated Douglas publicly in 1854. In 1855, Blanchard traveled through Kentucky with other abolitionists to speak out against slavery.

Changes at Knox College

Soon after arriving in Galesburg, Blanchard joined the Congregational church. He left the Presbyterian church because it was not clear enough about its stance on slavery. This caused some disagreements at Knox College. Blanchard also supported the Liberty Party, which was against slavery. This party was different from the one supported by the college's founder.

In 1857, the college board asked both Blanchard and the founder to resign. Blanchard was later re-admitted as president, but a new president was elected the next year.

Founding Wheaton College

For the next two years, Blanchard gave lectures. In 1860, he became president of the Illinois Institute, a small college in Wheaton, Illinois. When Warren L. Wheaton donated land to the college, Blanchard renamed it Wheaton College after him.

Under Blanchard's leadership, Wheaton College became a school open to all students, including African-Americans. He even allowed African-American students to live in his own home. He did not allow fraternities or sororities on campus because of his views against secret societies. Blanchard believed that the college should train students to be "social activists" who would fight for what is right. In 1861, he helped organize College Church in Wheaton. This church was known for its opposition to slavery, secret societies, and alcohol.

In 1864, Blanchard traveled to the Montana Territory for his health. While there, he suggested starting churches in Denver and Salt Lake City.

Blanchard's Work After the Civil War

After the Civil War, when slavery was ended, Blanchard focused on fighting secret societies like the Freemasons. In 1868, he helped start the National Christian Association (NCA). He also edited its newspaper, the Christian Cynosure, until he died.

In 1872, the NCA brought back the Anti-Masonic Party. This party's main goals were to support Christianity, encourage temperance (avoiding alcohol), end secret societies, and allow people to directly vote for the President and Vice-President. In 1884, Blanchard tried to become the presidential candidate for the Prohibition Party, which was similar to the Anti-Masonic Party, but he was not chosen.

Jonathan Blanchard's son, Charles A. Blanchard, took over as president of Wheaton College in 1882. He led the college until his death in 1925.

Jonathan Blanchard's Family Life

Jonathan Blanchard married Mary Avery Bent on September 17, 1838. Mary was a school principal in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, where she met Blanchard. They had twelve children together.

Blanchard passed away suddenly at his home in Wheaton on May 14, 1892. He had been sick with influenza the week before. He was buried in Wheaton Cemetery. The oldest and most famous building at Wheaton College is Blanchard Hall. It was built in 1853 and later named in honor of Jonathan Blanchard and his son, who were both presidents of the college.

Images for kids

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  Blanchard Hall, Wheaton College