George Bethune English
Encyclopedia
George Bethune English was an American adventurer, diplomat, soldier, and convert to Islam.
The oldest of four children, English was born in Cambridge, Massachusetts
, where he was baptized at Trinity Church on April 1, 1787. He later attended Harvard College
, where his dissertation won a Bowdoin Prize
he received a Masters in theology in 1811. During his studies, however, English encountered doubts about Christian theology, and went on to publish his misgivings in a book entitled The Grounds of Christianity Examined, which earned him excommunication from the Church of Christ in 1814. English addressed some of the criticisms and controversies caused by his first book in a second tract, "A Letter to the Reverend Mr. Cary," as well as in published responses to Unitarian leader William Ellery Channing
's (1780–1842) "Two Sermons on Infidelity." Subsequently he edited a country newspaper, during which time he may have learned the Cherokee language
.
English was nominated by President James Madison
on February 27, 1815 and commissioned on March 1, 1815 as a second lieutenant in the United States Marine Corps
during the War of 1812
and assigned to Marine Corps headquarters. He then sailed to the Mediterranean, and was among the first citizens of the United States known to have visited Egypt. Shortly after arriving in Egypt he resigned his commission, converted to Islam
and joined Isma'il Pasha
in an expedition up the Nile River against Sennar
1820, winning distinction as an officer of artillery. He published his Narrative of the Expedition to Dongola and Sennaar (London 1822) regarding his exploits. A colleague from Harvard, Edward Everett, published a rejoinder to English's book "The Grounds of Christianity Examined," to which English responded with his 1824 book "Five Smooth Stones out of the Brook."
After his work for Isma'il Pasha, English worked in the Diplomatic Corps of the United States in the Levant, where he worked to secure a trade agreement between the United States and the Ottoman Empire
, which had trade valued at nearly $800,000 in 1822. In 1827, he returned to the United States and died in Washington
the next year.
The oldest of four children, English was born in Cambridge, Massachusetts
Cambridge, Massachusetts
Cambridge is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States, in the Greater Boston area. It was named in honor of the University of Cambridge in England, an important center of the Puritan theology embraced by the town's founders. Cambridge is home to two of the world's most prominent...
, where he was baptized at Trinity Church on April 1, 1787. He later attended Harvard College
Harvard College
Harvard College, in Cambridge, Massachusetts, is one of two schools within Harvard University granting undergraduate degrees...
, where his dissertation won a Bowdoin Prize
Bowdoin prize
The Bowdoin Prize is a prestigious award given annually to Harvard University undergraduate and graduate students. It is considered among the highest academic commendations the University can bestow upon a student...
he received a Masters in theology in 1811. During his studies, however, English encountered doubts about Christian theology, and went on to publish his misgivings in a book entitled The Grounds of Christianity Examined, which earned him excommunication from the Church of Christ in 1814. English addressed some of the criticisms and controversies caused by his first book in a second tract, "A Letter to the Reverend Mr. Cary," as well as in published responses to Unitarian leader William Ellery Channing
William Ellery Channing
Dr. William Ellery Channing was the foremost Unitarian preacher in the United States in the early nineteenth century and, along with Andrews Norton, one of Unitarianism's leading theologians. He was known for his articulate and impassioned sermons and public speeches, and as a prominent thinker...
's (1780–1842) "Two Sermons on Infidelity." Subsequently he edited a country newspaper, during which time he may have learned the Cherokee language
Cherokee language
Cherokee is an Iroquoian language spoken by the Cherokee people which uses a unique syllabary writing system. It is the only Southern Iroquoian language that remains spoken. Cherokee is a polysynthetic language.-North American etymology:...
.
English was nominated by President James Madison
James Madison
James Madison, Jr. was an American statesman and political theorist. He was the fourth President of the United States and is hailed as the “Father of the Constitution” for being the primary author of the United States Constitution and at first an opponent of, and then a key author of the United...
on February 27, 1815 and commissioned on March 1, 1815 as a second lieutenant in the United States Marine Corps
United States Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...
during the War of 1812
War of 1812
The War of 1812 was a military conflict fought between the forces of the United States of America and those of the British Empire. The Americans declared war in 1812 for several reasons, including trade restrictions because of Britain's ongoing war with France, impressment of American merchant...
and assigned to Marine Corps headquarters. He then sailed to the Mediterranean, and was among the first citizens of the United States known to have visited Egypt. Shortly after arriving in Egypt he resigned his commission, converted to Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
and joined Isma'il Pasha
Isma'il Pasha
Isma'il Pasha , known as Ismail the Magnificent , was the Khedive of Egypt and Sudan from 1863 to 1879, when he was removed at the behest of the United Kingdom...
in an expedition up the Nile River against Sennar
Sennar
Sennar is a town on the Blue Nile in Sudan and capital of the state of Sennar. For several centuries it was the capital of the Funj Kingdom of Sennar. It had an estimated population of 100,000 inhabitants in the early 19th century. The modern town lies 17km SSE of the ruins of the ancient capital...
1820, winning distinction as an officer of artillery. He published his Narrative of the Expedition to Dongola and Sennaar (London 1822) regarding his exploits. A colleague from Harvard, Edward Everett, published a rejoinder to English's book "The Grounds of Christianity Examined," to which English responded with his 1824 book "Five Smooth Stones out of the Brook."
After his work for Isma'il Pasha, English worked in the Diplomatic Corps of the United States in the Levant, where he worked to secure a trade agreement between the United States and the Ottoman Empire
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
, which had trade valued at nearly $800,000 in 1822. In 1827, he returned to the United States and died in Washington
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
the next year.
External links
- http://www.archive.org/search.php?query=mediatype%3A(texts)%20-contributor%3Agutenberg%20AND%20(subject%3A%22English%2C%20George%20Bethune%2C%201787-1828%22%20OR%20subject%3A%22English%2C%20G%2E%20B%2E%20%28George%20Bethune%29%2C%201787-1828%22%20OR%20subject%3A%22English%2C%20George%20B%2E%20%28George%20Bethune%29%2C%201787-1828%22%20OR%20subject%3A%22English%2C%20George%20Bethune%22%20OR%20subject%3A%22English%2C%20G%2E%20B%2E%20%28George%20Bethune%29%22%20OR%20subject%3A%22English%2C%20George%20B%2E%20%28George%20Bethune%29%22%20OR%20subject%3A%22George%20Bethune%20English%22%20OR%20subject%3A%22George%20B%2E%20English%22%20OR%20subject%3A%22G%2E%20B%2E%20English%22%20OR%20creator%3A%22English%2C%20George%20Bethune%2C%201787-1828%22%20OR%20creator%3A%22English%2C%20George%20Bethune%2C%20Sir%2C%201787-1828%22%20OR%20creator%3A%22English%2C%20G%2E%20B%2E%20%28George%20Bethune%29%2C%201787-1828%22%20OR%20creator%3A%22English%2C%20George%20B%2E%20%28George%20Bethune%29%2C%201787-1828%22%20OR%20creator%3A%22English%2C%20George%20Bethune%22%20OR%20creator%3A%22English%2C%20G%2E%20B%2E%20%28George%20Bethune%29%22%20OR%20creator%3A%22English%2C%20George%20B%2E%20%28George%20Bethune%29%22%20OR%20creator%3A%22George%20Bethune%20English%22%20OR%20creator%3A%22George%20B%2E%20English%22%20OR%20creator%3A%22G%2E%20B%2E%20English%22%20OR%20title%3A%22George%20Bethune%20English%22%20OR%20title%3A%22George%20B%2E%20English%22%20OR%20title%3A%22G%2E%20B%2E%20English%22%20OR%20description%3A%22George%20Bethune%20English%22%20OR%20description%3A%22George%20B%2E%20English%22%20OR%20description%3A%22G%2E%20B%2E%20English%22%20OR%20description%3A%22English%2C%20George%20Bethune%22%20OR%20description%3A%22English%2C%20G%2E%20B%2E%20%28George%20Bethune%29%22%20OR%20description%3A%22English%2C%20George%20B%2E%20%28George%20Bethune%29%22)Works by or about George Bethune English] at Internet ArchiveInternet ArchiveThe Internet Archive is a non-profit digital library with the stated mission of "universal access to all knowledge". It offers permanent storage and access to collections of digitized materials, including websites, music, moving images, and nearly 3 million public domain books. The Internet Archive...
(scanned books original editions color illustrated) (plain text and HTML) - An Narrative of the Expedition to Dongola and Sennaar at LibriVoxLibriVoxLibriVox is an online digital library of free public domain audiobooks, read by volunteers and is probably, since 2007, the world's most prolific audiobook publisher...
(audiobook)