John Brown (Rhode Island politician)
John Brown (January 27, 1736 – September 20, 1803) was an American merchant, politician and slave trader from Providence, Rhode Island. Together with his brothers Nicholas, Joseph and Moses, John was instrumental in founding Brown University (then known as the College in the English Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations) and moving it to their family's former estate in Providence.
John Brown | |
|---|---|
Miniature of Brown by Edward Malbone | |
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Rhode Island's at-large congressional district | |
| In office 1799–1801 | |
| Preceded by | Thomas Tillinghast |
| Succeeded by | Joseph Stanton Jr. |
| Personal details | |
| Born | January 27, 1736 Providence, Rhode Island, British America |
| Died | September 20, 1803 (aged 67) Providence, Rhode Island, British America |
| Spouse | Sarah Smith |
| Children | James Brown III Abigail Brown Francis Sarah Brown Herreshoff Alice Brown Mason |
| Parent(s) | James Brown II Hope Power |
| Relatives | Chad Brown (ancestor) Nicholas Brown Sr. (brother) Moses Brown (brother) Joseph Brown (brother) John Brown Francis (grandson) |
| Occupation | Merchant, politician, slave trader |
Brown laid the cornerstone of the university's oldest building in 1770, and he served as its treasurer for 21 years, from 1775 to 1796. He was also one of the founders of Providence Bank and served as its first president in 1791. Brown was active in the American Revolution, notably as an instigator of the 1772 Gaspee Affair, and he served in both state and national government. At the same time, he was a powerful voice of proslavery thought, clashing aggressively in newspapers, courts and the political system with his brother Moses, who had become an abolitionist.
Brown's home in Providence is now a museum and National Historic Landmark. His personal desk and bookcase reside at the Yale University Art Gallery in New Haven, Connecticut. The desk is attributed to Daniel Spencer, who opened his cabinetmaking studio in Providence, Rhode Island in 1772.