Joseph Priestley

Joseph Priestley FRS (/ˈpriːstli/; 24 March 1733 – 6 February 1804) was an English chemist, Unitarian minister, natural philosopher, separatist theologian, grammarian, teacher, and classical liberal political thinker. He wrote over 150 books and did many science experiments.

Priestley is best known for discovering oxygen in 1774. He made this discovery by heating a compound called mercuric oxide. During his life, Priestley was famous for inventing carbonated water, writing about electricity, and discovering many different kinds of gases, or “airs.” The most famous of these was what he called “dephlogisticated air,” which we now know is oxygen.

Priestley believed strongly in sharing ideas freely. He supported equal rights for people of different religions and helped start Unitarianism in England. He also believed that understanding nature could help improve the world.

As a teacher, Priestley wrote important books about English grammar and history. He also made early timelines that were very useful. His ideas about government and society influenced later thinkers like Jeremy Bentham, John Stuart Mill, and Herbert Spencer. One of his famous books is Essay on the First Principles of Government (1768).

Early life and education (1733–1755)

Joseph Priestley was born in Birstall near Batley in the West Riding of Yorkshire. His family was an English Dissenting family and did not belong to the Church of England. As a child, he was very clever and remembered many things. He learned many languages such as Greek, Latin, Hebrew, French, Italian, German, Aramaic, and Arabic.

He later attended a school named Daventry Academy in Northamptonshire. There, he read books that helped him think in new ways about religion and the world. He decided he wanted to spend his life learning and teaching others.

Needham Market and Nantwich (1755–1761)

In 1755, Joseph Priestley started working in a small town called Needham Market. He wanted a busy place with many talks, but the town was quiet and people liked things how they were. When they heard about his new ideas, fewer people visited his services, and he lost support from his aunt. He tried to start a school, but local families were not interested.

Luckily, in 1758, Priestley moved to Nantwich, where he was happier. The people there liked his ideas more. He started a school and taught science. He bought tools for his students and wrote his own book about English grammar, called The Rudiments of English Grammar, because he thought other books were not very good. His school did well, and in 1761, he was asked to teach at Warrington Academy.

Warrington Academy (1761–1767)

In 1761, Joseph Priestley moved to Warrington to teach languages and speaking skills. He taught at a school for people who did not follow the Church of England. He liked his time there and made many friends. These friends included a doctor named John Aikin, his sister Anna Laetitia Aikin, and a famous potter named Josiah Wedgwood.

In 1762, Priestley married Mary Wilkinson. They had a daughter named Sarah in 1763.

Priestley loved teaching and writing about history. He thought learning history was important for young people. He believed it helped them understand the world and how people improved over time.

He also invented carbonated water in 1767. He found a way to add carbon dioxide gas to water.

Leeds (1767–1773)

Joseph Priestley moved to Leeds in 1767. He became the minister of Mill Hill Chapel. While living there, he had two sons named Joseph Junior and William. Priestley liked to write and think about many things. He wrote about religion and science. He believed it was important to teach young people. He wrote his ideas in books called Institutes of Natural and Revealed Religion.

Priestley also liked to study science. He was especially interested in electricity and chemistry. He wrote a book about electricity. He discovered how to make carbonated water. He hoped this might help people with a sickness called scurvy. Although he did not get rich from this, others did. Priestley’s work was honored by the Royal Society. They gave him an award for his science work.

Calne (1773–1780)

In 1773, Joseph Priestley and his family moved to Calne in Wiltshire, England. There, he worked as a librarian and tutor for Lord Shelburne. This job gave him time to study science and philosophy.

During this time, Priestley wrote many books about his ideas. He believed in determinism and materialism. This means he thought everything was made of matter and followed natural laws. He also wrote about his science experiments, especially his work on different kinds of air.

His most famous discovery was oxygen. He found it in 1774 by heating mercuric oxide. Priestley called this new air "dephlogisticated air." He wrote about it in his book Experiments and Observations on Different Kinds of Air. His work helped people learn more about chemistry and gases.

Birmingham (1780–1791)

In 1780, Joseph Priestley and his family moved to Birmingham. They lived there happily for ten years. In 1791, people who did not share the same religious beliefs as most of the town were attacked. This event is called the Priestley Riots. Because of this, Priestley had to leave Birmingham and could not return to his home or laboratory.

During his time in Birmingham, Priestley joined a group called the Lunar Society. This was a club for inventors, scientists, and thinkers who met to share ideas. Priestley made many friends there, including James Watt, who improved the steam engine. He also continued his experiments and wrote many important scientific papers. One of his most famous works was about a gas he discovered, which we now call oxygen. Priestley believed in an old scientific idea called the "phlogiston theory," even though another scientist named Antoine Lavoisier had new ideas that later became important in chemistry. Priestley kept believing in his own ideas based on his experiments.

Hackney (1791–1794)

After riots in Birmingham, Joseph Priestley and his wife moved to Lower Clapton, a part of Middlesex. There, he gave talks about history and science at the Dissenting academy and the New College at Hackney. Friends helped them by giving money, books, and lab tools.

During this time, Priestley talked about his belief that big changes were coming. He saw the French Revolution as a sign of new things ahead. Some people were unkind to him, sending mean letters and drawings. Priestley thought about moving to France but decided not to because things were getting tense between England and France. In 1794, Priestley and his wife left England and moved to America.

Pennsylvania (1794–1804)

See also: Joseph Priestley House

Joseph Priestley moved to America in 1794 and arrived in New York City. He later lived in Northumberland County, Pennsylvania. There, he helped start the First Unitarian Church of Philadelphia and turned down a job to teach at the University of Pennsylvania.

In America, Priestley kept writing about politics and science. He shared his ideas with important people, including Thomas Jefferson. Jefferson later used Priestley's advice when he helped build the University of Virginia. Even though Priestley's health got worse, he kept encouraging people to learn about science until he passed away in 1804.

Degrees

Joseph Priestley was a smart and learned man. He studied at the University of Edinburgh. He worked as a preacher and librarian for the Earl of Shelburne from 1773 to 1780. After that, he was a pastor for a Unitarian congregation in Birmingham from 1780 to 1791. He then worked at the Gravel Pit meeting house in Hackney, London until 1794. Finally, he lived in Northumberland, Pennsylvania from 1794 until he died in 1804.

Priestley made many important discoveries in science. In 1772, he discovered nitric oxide. In 1774, he discovered oxygen, hydrochloric acid, and ammonia. In 1775, he found sulphur dioxide and silicon tetrafluoride. He was a member of the Royal Society and the American Philosophical Society. He was born on 24 March 1733 in Fieldhead, near Leeds, Yorkshire, England, and died on 6 February 1804 in Northumberland, Pennsylvania.

Legacy

Joseph Priestley was respected during his life and after. He died in 1804. He was a member of important science groups around the world. Priestley wrote more than 150 books on science, politics, and religion. His ideas helped shape modern chemistry.

Towns where Priestley lived honor him with statues and plaques. Schools and buildings are named after him. Awards are given in his name for scientific achievements. Priestley’s discovery of oxygen is celebrated as an important step in chemistry.

Archives

The papers of Joseph Priestley are kept at the Cadbury Research Library at the University of Birmingham. These papers help us learn more about his life and work.

Selected works

Main article: List of works by Joseph Priestley

Joseph Priestley wrote many important books about science, history, and religion. Some of his well-known books include The Rudiments of English Grammar from 1761, The History and Present State of Electricity from 1767, and Experiments and Observations on Different Kinds of Air from 1774–77. In these books, he told others about his discoveries about air and oxygen. He also wrote about government, history, and religion, showing his many interests and ideas.