| Benjamin Silliman Church | New York Civil Engineer |
| James Dwight Dana | Noted Geologist and Scientist |
| Eliphalet Dyer | Continental Congress, A Leader of the Rebellion in Connecticut |
| Jonathan Edwards | Preacher Who Was Very Involved in "The Great Awakening" |
| Ulysses S. Grant - Huntington-Backus Descendants | President of the United States |
He was educated at Punahou School and Oahu College, Hawaii, 1882-1892, Phillips Academy, Andover, Mass., 1892-1894, Yale University 1894-1898, University of California at Berkeley 1899-1900, and Harvard University 1900-1905; taught history at Harvard University 1902-1905, history and politics at Princeton University in 1905 and 1906, and history of South America at Yale University 1907-1917.
In 1906 and 1907 explored Bolivar's route across Venezuela and Colombia, and, in 1908 and 1909, the Spanish trade route from Buenos Aires to Lima; United States Government delegate to the First Pan American Scientific Congress at Santiago, Chile, in 1908; directed the Yale Peruvian expedition in 1911; made further Peruvian explorations under the auspices of Yale University and the National Geographic Society 1912-1915.
Captain of Headquarters Company, Tenth Field Artillery, Connecticut National Guard, in 1916; became an aviator in the spring of 1917; organized the United States Schools of Military Aeronautics in May 1917; commissioned major, Aviation Section, Signal Corps, June 6, 1917; promoted to lieutenant colonel October 25, 1917; commanded the flying school at Issoudun, France, from August to December 1918.
Alternate at large to the Republican National Conventions in 1916 and 1920 and delegate at large in 1924, 1928, 1932, and 1936; presidential elector on the Republican ticket of Hughes and Fairbanks in 1916; Lieutenant Governor of Connecticut 1922-1924; elected Governor of Connecticut on November 4, 1924; elected as a Republican to the United States Senate on December 16, 1924, to fill the vacancy caused by the death of Frank B. Brandegee in the term ending March 3, 1927; reelected in 1926 and served from December 17, 1924, to March 3, 1933.
Appointed a member of the President's Aircraft Board by President Coolidge on September 12, 1925, and served until its final report in December 1925; unsuccessful candidate for reelection to the United States Senate in 1932; engaged in banking and literary work in Washington, D.C.; during World War II lectured at naval training schools in 1942 and 1943; died in Washington, D.C. June 6, 1956."
Biographical Directory of the American Congress, 1774-1949, page 850
The Backus lineage of Hiram Bingham is:
Aaron Burr, in older histories, is treated as a villain. Up to the
time of the duel, he had been:
However, modern historians seem to be doing a double-take on Aaron and that he really was a "good ole boy". And, that Alexander Hamilton wasn't exactly the saint previously depicted by previous historians.
This is Aaron Burr's Edwards lineage. Note that Agnes Harris is the
same Agnes Harris who was the widow of William Spencer of Hartford, Conn,
so those folks share a bunch of half cousins in this family. Note that
he is a grandson of Jonathan Edwards (The Great Awakening) and a first
cousin of Eli Whitney's wife.
Benjamin Silliman Church is a double Backus descendant. See his lineage under Jonathon Trumbull's wife later in this page. (Eunice (Backus) Trumbull - his great-grandmother.)
Benjamin S. Church was graduated at the Chandler school of science and the arts, Dartmouth college, in 1856, and entered upon the profession of civil engineering. He was employed for a time on the New Haven railroad, then in making the original topographical survey of Central park, and later was appointed topographical engineer of the hydrographic survey of the Croton river and basin. He was afterward placed in charge of the Croton aqueduct as resident engineer. This position he held continuously until 1883 when he was appointed chief engineer designing and constructing the new aqueduct of New York city. Excepting for a short period during the civil war, when in the army as captain in the 12th New York regiment, and as topographical engineer in the army of the Potomac, he was connected with the water supply of New York until 1889. He received the degree of M.S. from Dartmouth college in 1884."
The Twentieth Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans: Volume II
James Dwight Dana is NOT a Backus descendant, he married one and his descendants are Backus descendants. See the lineage of his wife's grandmother, Eunice Backus. By the way, she and James Dana were aunt and uncle of Benjamin Church, above.
He was graduated from Yale in 1833; was mathematical instructor of midshipmen in the U.S. navy afloat, 1833-35; assistant in chemistry to Professor Silliman at Yale, 1836-37; sailed with Captain Wilkes in the sloop-of-war Peacock on the U.S. exploring expedition as mineralogist and geologist, 1838-42, and then was employed for thirteen years by the government in studying and classifying the mineralogical, geological and zoological material brought home from the Southern and Pacific oceans. The results appeared in "Report on Zoophytes" (1846); "Report on the Geology of the Pacific, etc." (1849); and "Report on Crustacea" (1852-54), four quarto volumes with folio atlases, published by the government.
He became Silliman professor of geology, natural history and mineralogy at Yale in 1850, the title of the chair being changed in 1864 to that of geology and mineralogy. He was made professor emeritus in 1894. From 1846 until his death he was an editor of the American Journal of Science. His services to science were recognized by leading foreign academies and societies, which elected him to membership or awarded to him medals of honor beyond those awarded any other individual scientist in the world, and including the Wollaston gold medal by the Geological society of London.
He was married in 1844 to Henrietta Frances, third daughter of Prof. Benjamin and Harriet (Trumbull) Silliman. Their children were, Frances H., who married George D. Coil of Norwich, Conn., Edward S., who became professor of physical science in Yale, Arnold Guyot, connected with the Financial Chronicle, New York city, and Maria Trumbull.
He was a charter member of the National academy of science in the United States; president of the American association for the advancement of science, 1854-55; honorary member of the American philosophical society, and received the Copley gold medal of the Royal society of London, sharing the honor with Count Rumford, Franklin and Agassiz, the only other Americans so honored. He received the degree of LL.D. from Amherst in 1853; that of Ph.D. from the University of Munich in 1872, and that of LL.D. from Harvard in 1886 and from Edinburgh in 1889.
Apart from contributions to periodical publications and to the proceedings of scientific societies, Professor Dana's published works include, besides the four volumes issued by the U.S. government: A System of Mineralogy (1837, 6th ed., 1892); Manual of Mineralogy (1848, 4th ed., 1887); Coral Reefs and Islands (1872, 2d ed., 1890); Manual of Geology (1863, 4th ed., 1895); Textbook of Geology (1864, 4th ed., 1883); The Geological Story Briefly Told (1875); Characteristics of Volcanoes with Contributions of Facts and Principles from the Hawaiian Islands (1890) ; Genesis and Science (1890); On the Four Rocks of the New Haven Region, with Walks and Drives About New Haven (1891).
He died in New Haven, Conn., April 14, 1895."
American Biographical Library, The Twentieth Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans, Volume 3, page 119
Dyer, Eliphalet, delegate, was born in Windham, Conn., Sept. 28, 1721:
He died in Windham, Conn., May 13, 1807.
The Twentieth Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans: Volume III
His Backus line is:
The "Great Awakening", beginning about 1735, had a tremendous effect on America. It was the period during which New England started to shed its shackles from Puritanism, and the other protestant denominations started to come into their own, including Methodists and the Baptists. This was the time of revivals and evangelism. This period was not just regional, it was contagious and turned the "nation" (this is pre-Revolution) into a frenzy.
Jonathan Edwards, preacher, revivalist, philosopher, theologian, writer had as much to do with the beginnings of the Great Awakening as any other person, but he started with the opposite approach of what the eventual impact of the Great Awakening turned out to be. He wanted to "renew" the people into the old Puritan faith. But, he wanted folks to still be members of the church only if they followed the "old" rules, which led him to being rejected by his own congregation. Eunice Backus, an elderly spinster, spent time in jail because she refused to pay her taxes to the church (back then, Puritan financial support was part of the government.)
The effect of this beginning of the Great Awakening to renew the Puritan experience backfired, however, as the folks who were ready to shed the strict Puritan rules were ready and willing to "jump ship" to the Baptists and Methodists. No longer would communities expel neighbors from their midst because they were not "Christian" enough, in thought or deed. The separation of church and state became more and more distinct. Churches opened their doors to anyone wanting to join, not just those who met certain criteria. This period lasted for at least twenty years, and the effects were felt even longer as some communities were torn apart by their religious differences.
For more about Jonathan Edwards:
Jonathan Edwards Biography - short
A Recap of Jonathan Edwards Teachings and Writings - long
The Writings of Jonathan Edwards - 1
The Writings of Jonathan Edwards - 2
Refer to my Page on Religious History
Jonathan Edwards Web Site - At the Hall of Church History
For those with an interest in Edwards Genealogy, check out: A
History of the Edwards of Wales.
Copyright 1998 Norris Taylor