Washington Gladden facts for kids
Washington Gladden (February 11, 1836 – July 2, 1918) was a leading American Congregational minister. He was an early leader in the Social Gospel movement. This movement encouraged Christians to apply their faith to social problems. Gladden was also a key figure in the Progressive Movement. He even served on the Columbus, Ohio city council for two years. He also worked as a religious editor for the New York Independent newspaper, where he spoke out against Boss Tweed's corruption. Gladden was one of the first major religious leaders in the U.S. to support labor unions. He also strongly opposed racial segregation. He wrote many poems, hymns, articles, and books during his life.
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Early Life and Beliefs
Washington Gladden was born on February 11, 1836, in Pottsgrove, Pennsylvania. His parents were Solomon and Amanda Gladden. When he was six, his father died. After that, he lived with his uncle on a farm near Owego, New York. There, he learned farming skills. He also spent his free time reading, especially the Bible.
During his youth, western New York was known as the "Burned-Over District." This was because many religious revivals happened there. Gladden listened to many preachers. He was looking for a clear sign of God's favor. When he was 18, a minister helped him understand God's love. From then on, Gladden believed that religion was about "Friendship." This meant friendship with God and with other people.
At 16, Gladden left the farm. He became an apprentice at the Owego Gazette newspaper. Two years later, in 1854, he joined the temperance movement. This movement worked to reduce or stop the use of alcohol.
While working at the newspaper, Gladden decided he wanted to be a minister. He enrolled in the Owego Free Academy. Later, he graduated from Williams College in 1859. While at Williams, he wrote the college's alma mater song, "The Mountains."
Becoming a Minister and Journalist
From 1860 to 1882, Gladden worked in several church and journalism roles. The year 1860 was very important for him. He received his first job as a minister. He was also ordained, got married, and the Civil War was about to begin.
Gladden's first church job was at State Street Congregational Church in Brooklyn, New York. He started in June 1860 and was ordained in November. On December 5, 1860, he married Jennie O. Cohoon. She was a schoolmate from the Oswego Free Academy. They had two daughters and two sons.
In June 1861, Gladden moved to a church in Morrisania, New York. He stayed there until 1866. In 1863, he took time off to serve as a Christian chaplain during the Civil War. However, he got sick with malaria. This forced him to return home to recover.
His third church job was in North Adams, Massachusetts. He served there from 1866 to 1871.
After that, Gladden became the religious editor for The New York Independent. This was a weekly newspaper with a huge national audience. From 1871 to 1875, Gladden wrote articles and editorials. He focused on religious ideas and social issues of the time. This job made him famous across the country. He gained even more fame by helping to expose the corrupt organization of Boss Tweed.
In 1875, Gladden became the pastor of North Congregational Church in Springfield, Massachusetts. He stayed there for seven years. During this time, he also edited Sunday Afternoon magazine. This magazine was for families.
Gladden started actively supporting workers and their right to form unions during these years. Mill and factory owners did not like his views. But he kept working for justice throughout his life. In 1876, he published Working People and their Employers. This book supported workers forming unions. Gladden was the first well-known U.S. minister to approve of unions. He believed in applying "Christian law" to social problems.
His 1877 book, The Christian Way, called for applying Christian values to everyday life. This book helped him become a leader in the Social Gospel movement.
Fighting for Social Justice in Columbus
In 1882, Gladden became the pastor of the First Congregational Church in Columbus, Ohio. He served there for 36 years. During this time, he became even more famous as a religious and community leader. He did this through his preaching, lectures, writing, and active involvement.
His church was across from the Ohio state capitol building. Many members of his church were lawmakers and other powerful people. This meant they could help address the social problems Gladden preached about.
Every Sunday, Gladden gave two sermons. In the morning, he spoke about living a Christian life. In the evening, he talked about social problems. The evening sermon was often printed in The Ohio State Journal the next day. Gladden once said that his church members did not always agree with him. But they never tried to stop him from speaking his mind.
By the mid-1880s, Gladden spoke to large audiences across the nation. He spoke about workers' rights to bargain, shorter work weeks, and fair taxes. He also supported public ownership of services like streetcars. His goal was to move towards a more cooperative society.
Gladden was known as an "evangelical liberal" in his religious views. This meant he believed strongly in the Bible. But he also wanted to make Christianity fit modern times. He wrote books like Burning Questions (1890) and Who Wrote the Bible (1891). In Who Wrote the Bible, he said that trying to make the Bible's creation story exactly match science was "idle."
In 1885, Gladden helped form the American Economic Association. He served on its council. This group aimed to study economics independently and share knowledge.
In 1886, he went to Cleveland during a streetcar strike. He spoke at a public meeting, supporting the workers' right to form a union. He also believed that streetcars and other public services should be owned by the public.
As Gladden spoke more about social issues, his church grew. It went from 500 members in 1883 to 1,200 in 1914. When members disagreed with him, he tried to find common ground.
In 1893, former U.S. President Rutherford B. Hayes suggested Gladden for president of Ohio State University. But the university board said no. They thought he was "too pro-Catholic." This was because he opposed the anti-Catholic American Protective Association. However, the University of Notre Dame gave Gladden an honorary degree for his stance.
Gladden also lectured in Great Britain several times. In 1898, he defended the United States' entry into the Spanish–American War. He said it was for "humane" reasons.
Gladden had a global impact as the "father" of the Social Gospel movement. His concern for social issues came from his belief that the Church should apply Christian values to society.
Gladden served on the Columbus City Council from 1900 to 1902. He supported cities owning public services. He also helped change election dates in Ohio from October to November.
Gladden was a leading figure in addressing "The Negro Problem." This referred to the challenges faced by African Americans. He was Vice President of the American Missionary Association from 1894 to 1901. He then served as President from 1901 to 1904. In this role, he visited Atlanta University in Georgia and met W. E. B. Du Bois. He was shocked by the conditions of Black people in the South. He began speaking out against racism. In 1903, Gladden gave a famous sermon called "Murder as an Epidemic." In it, he strongly condemned lynching.
In 1904, he resigned from the American Missionary Association. He became the Moderator of the National Council of the Congregational Churches of the United States.
In 1905, he made national news. He refused a $100,000 gift to the Congregationalists from John D. Rockefeller. Gladden called the money "tainted."
In 1914, Gladden retired. He became "minister emeritus" of the First Congregational Church. He remained active in other ways until he died from a stroke on July 2, 1918. The New York Times reported his death, calling him a "nationally known Congregational minister."
Gladden's wife, Jennie, died on May 8, 1909. She had been sick for four years. Jennie always quietly supported her husband's public career.
Historians agree that Gladden was very important to the Social Gospel movement. He was seen as its "most revered and respected spokesman." Gladden not only wrote and spoke about the Social Gospel. He also actively worked to solve social problems. He supported workers' rights to unionize and fought against racial segregation.
In his 1909 autobiography, Recollections, Gladden wrote about his goal as a minister. He wanted to practice "a religion that laid hold upon life." He wanted to "realize the Kingdom of God in this world."
Honors and Writings
Washington Gladden never earned a theology degree. However, he received 35 honorary doctorates.
He is honored along with Walter Rauschenbusch and Jacob Riis on July 2 in the Episcopal Church (USA) calendar.
Gladden wrote many poems, hymns, articles, and books. His hymn, O Master, Let Me Walk With Thee, has been published in 470 hymnals. Here are some of his books:
- Plain Thoughts on the Art of Living (1868)
- Working People and their Employers (1876)
- The Christian Way: Whither it Leads and how to Go On (1877)
- Burning Questions (1891)
- Who Wrote the Bible?: A Book for the People (1891)
- Tools and the Man: Property and Industry Under the Christian Law (1894)
- Social Salvation (1902)
- Recollections (1909)
- The Labor Question (1911)
