author
Elihu Burritt
1810–1879
A self-taught blacksmith who became known as the “Learned Blacksmith,” he turned a hunger for knowledge into a life of writing, reform, and public speaking. His work linked abolition, peace activism, and international fellowship in a way that made him a remarkable figure of the 19th century.
2 Audiobooks
A Walk from London to John O'Groat's With Notes by the Way
by Elihu Burritt
About the author
Born in New Britain, Connecticut, in 1810, Elihu Burritt had little formal schooling and trained as a blacksmith. He became famous for educating himself in languages and literature during the hours he could spare from the forge, earning the nickname “the Learned Blacksmith.”
Burritt used that reputation to build a wider career as a lecturer, writer, and reformer. He spoke against slavery, supported temperance, and became especially known for his efforts on behalf of peace, arguing for cooperation and goodwill across national borders.
He spent part of his life in Britain as well as the United States, wrote extensively, and helped promote international peace movements in the mid-1800s. He died in 1879, but he is still remembered as an unusual blend of workingman, scholar, and humanitarian reformer.