Henry Dawson

Born in Lincolnshire, England, in 1821, he emigrated to New York City in 1834 and later became a naturalized American citizen. Early in his career he worked in bookselling and publishing, and he was also active in reform circles, including temperance journalism.

He is best known as an editor, historian, and antiquarian bookseller with a strong interest in the American Revolution. He wrote Battles of the United States by Sea and Land, prepared a controversial 1863 edition of The Federalist, and edited The Historical Magazine from 1866 to 1876.

Later archival descriptions of his papers show how deeply he worked with correspondence, transcripts, and other historical materials. That habit of chasing original documents helped make him a distinctive voice in 19th-century American historical writing, even if he is less widely known today than some of his contemporaries.