thumb|john pierpont john pierpont (april 6, 1785 â august 27, 1866) was an american poet, who was also successively a teacher, lawyer, merchant, and unitarian minister. his most famous poem is the airs of palestine. ==overview== born in 1785 in litchfield, connecticut,samuel atkins eliot, heralds of a liberal faith, volume 2, american unitarian association, 1910, p. 185. john pierpont had careers as a tutor, attorney, merchant, and minister. in 1816 he began his religious work as a theology student, first in baltimore and then at harvard, afterwards accepting an appointment as pastor at the hollis street church in boston (1819-1845). during his tenure, pierpont was instrumental in establishing boston's english classical school in 1821 and gained national recognition as an educator. he published two of the better-known early school readers in the united states, the american first class book (1823) and the national reader (1827). however, pierpont's latter years at the hollis street church were characterized by controversy. his social activism for temperance and abolition angered some parishioners, and after a long public battle, he resigned in 1845. after his resignation, pierpont served as pastor of a unitarian church in troy, new york (1845â1849), and then led the first parish church (unitarian) in medford, massachusetts (1849â1856). he ran for massachusetts governor during the 1840s as a liberty party candidate, and in 1850 as a free soil party candidate for the us house of representatives. after two weeks' service as a 76-year-old military chaplain with the 22nd massachusetts volunteer infantry during the civil war, pierpont was given an appointment in the treasury department in washington, which he held from 1861 until his death. he died at medford, massachusetts in 1866. ==literary works== pierpont gained a literary reputation with his book airs of palestine: a poem (1816), re-published in an anthology by the same name in 1840. he also published moral literature, such as cold water melodies and washington songster (comp. 1842). in addition, he is probably the anonymous "gentleman" who co-authored the drunkard; or, the fallen saved (1844), attributed to w. h. smith, an actor and stage manager at moses kimball's boston museum (theatre). the drunkard quickly became one of the most popular temperance plays in america. pierpont's many published sermons include, among others, the burning of the ephesian letters (1833), jesus christ not a l
1785_births 1860_deaths 19th-century_American_poets 19th_century_in_Boston,_Massachusetts Harvard_University_alumni Massachusetts_Free_Soilers Massachusetts_Libertyites People_from_Boston,_Massachusetts People_from_Litchfield,_Connecticut