David Humphreys
David Humphreys (1752-1818) was an influential American diplomat, poet, and playwright born in Connecticut. He graduated from Yale University with both a bachelor’s and master’s degree, later working as a teacher and tutor. During the American Revolution, Humphreys served on General George Washington's staff, which fostered a strong patriotic sentiment and enduring friendship with the leader. After the war, he was involved in negotiating commercial treaties in Europe and served in the Connecticut assembly, contributing to the promotion of American literature and educational reform as part of the Connecticut Wits.
Humphreys authored notable patriotic poetry, including "A Poem Addressed to the Armies of the United States" and "The Glory of America," and wrote plays such as "The Widow of Malabar." His diplomatic career continued as he served as a commissioner for Algerian affairs and later as minister plenipotentiary to Spain. He is also remembered for his agricultural contributions, bringing merino sheep to improve wool production in New England and establishing a woolen mill. Humphreys passed away in New Haven, Connecticut, leaving behind a legacy that intertwines patriotism, diplomacy, and the arts.
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David Humphreys
Playwright
- Born: July 10, 1752
- Birthplace: Derby, Connecticut
- Died: February 21, 1818
- Place of death: New Haven, Connecticut
Biography
Born in Connecticut on July 10, 1752, diplomat and poet David Humphreys was the son of the Reverend Daniel Humphreys and Sarah Riggs Bowers Humphreys. He attended Yale University and earned a bachelor of arts degree in 1771 and a master’s degree in 1774. He worked as a teacher from 1771 to 1773 in Wethersfield, Connecticut, and then became a tutor in New York from 1773 to 1776.
Humphreys’s fervid patriotism led to a friendship with George Washington, and he served on General Washington’s staff during the American Revolution. He went on to work with a mission that negotiated commercial treaties throughout Europe from 1784 to 1786. He served on the Connecticut assembly from 1786 to 1788; during this time, he was a member of the Connecticut Wits, a group of Yale students and rectors who supported the independence of American letters and the modernization of the Yale curriculum. He wrote satirical verses with the Connecticut Wits and also composed his own patriotic poetry, including A Poem Addressed to the Armies of the United States, published in 1780, and The Glory of America, published in 1783. He was also a playwright; his dramas included The Widow of Malabar (1790) and The Yankey in England (1814).
Dispatched as a secret agent in 1790, Humphreys became commissioner for Algerian affairs in 1793, and in 1796 he served as minister plenipotentiary to Spain. When he returned in 1802, he brought one hundred merino sheep with him to improve stocks in New England, and he established a large woolen mill near Seymour, Connecticut, in 1806. Humphreys died in New Haven, Connecticut, on February 21, 1818.