Hugh Miller
Hugh Miller
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Full Name and Common Aliases
Hugh Miller was born on October 27, 1802, in Salen, Mull, Scotland. He is commonly known as the "Father of American Geology" due to his pioneering work in the field.
Birth and Death Dates
Born: October 27, 1802
Died: December 3, 1856
Nationality and Profession(s)
Hugh Miller was a Scottish-American writer, journalist, and geologist. He is best known for his contributions to American literature and science.
Early Life and Background
Miller's early life was marked by hardship and poverty. Born in rural Scotland, he received little formal education but demonstrated a keen interest in reading and writing. At the age of 14, Miller ran away from home to escape an arranged marriage, eventually settling in the United States. He worked as a stonemason and later became a journalist, using his writing skills to gain access to influential figures.
Major Accomplishments
Miller's accomplishments can be divided into two primary areas: literature and geology.
In literature, Miller was a prolific writer who penned several novels, essays, and articles. His works often explored themes of social justice, morality, and the human condition. Some notable literary achievements include:
A Life Illustrated: A collection of short stories that showcased Miller's unique narrative style.
The Autobiography of Hugh Miller: A memoir that offers a glimpse into his childhood, early adulthood, and writing career.
In geology, Miller made significant contributions to the field through his observations and writings. He was one of the first scientists to recognize the importance of fossils in understanding geological history. Some notable geological achievements include:
Discovering the remains of ancient civilizations: Miller's excavations uncovered evidence of prehistoric human settlements, shedding light on the lives of our ancestors.
Developing a new theory of fossil formation: His research proposed that fossils were formed through natural processes rather than supernatural intervention.
Notable Works or Actions
Miller's writing career spanned over two decades. Some notable works include:
A Geography and Traveller's Dictionary: A comprehensive guide to geography, which highlighted his expertise in the field.
The Old Red Sandstone: A series of essays that explored the geological history of Scotland.
In addition to his literary and scientific endeavors, Miller was a strong advocate for workers' rights. He played a key role in shaping labor laws and advocating for improved working conditions.
Impact and Legacy
Hugh Miller's impact on American literature and science is immeasurable. His contributions have left an enduring legacy that continues to inspire new generations of writers, scientists, and social reformers.
Miller's writings offer valuable insights into the culture, politics, and society of his time. His observations on human nature, morality, and the environment remain relevant today.
Why They Are Widely Quoted or Remembered
Hugh Miller is widely quoted and remembered due to his groundbreaking work in geology and literature. His unique voice and perspective have captivated readers for centuries. His commitment to social justice and workers' rights has made him a respected figure in American history.
Miller's quotes are often cited for their wisdom, humor, and insight into the human condition. Some notable quotes include:
"The most fertile soil is that which is tilled by love."
"A writer must put himself in the place of his readers."
Overall, Hugh Miller's legacy serves as a testament to the power of curiosity, perseverance, and creativity. His contributions to literature and science continue to inspire and educate new generations of thinkers and explorers.
Quotes by Hugh Miller
Prayer is so mighty an instrument that no one ever thoroughly mastered all its keys. They sweep along the infinite scale of man’s wants and God’s goodness.
The increase in financing capacity provides us with additional liquidity to continue our goal of growing loan originations. We remain confident in our previously stated loan origination guidance, and expect to achieve at least 25 percent growth in our 2005 loan origination volume over our 2004 level $2.6 billion,
I believe decisions should be made in daylight, explanations for them should be given, consultations about them should have been had beforehand and the burden of that decision should have been in the hands of the faculty.
Prayer is so mighty an instrument that no one ever thoroughly mastered all its keys. They sweep along the infinite scale of man's wants and God's goodness.
Poets need be in no degree jealous of the geologists. The stony science, with buried creations for its domains, and half an eternity charged with its annals, possesses its realms of dim and shadowy fields, in which troops of fancies already walk like disembodied ghosts in the old fields of Elysium, and which bid fair to be quite dark and uncertain enough for all the purposes of poesy for centuries to come.
No true geologist holds by the development hypothesis;-it has been resigned to sciolists and smatterers;-and there is but one other alternative. They began to be, through the miracle of creation. From the evidence furnished by these rocks we are shut down either to belief in miracle, or to something else infinitely harder of reception, and as thoroughly unsupported by testimony as it is contrary to experience. Hume is at length answered by the severe truths of the stony science.
It is an excellent circumstance that hospitality grows best where it is most needed. In the thick of men it dwindles and disappears, life fruit in the thick of a wood; but where people are planted sparely it blossoms and matures, like apples on a standard or an espalier. It flourishes where the inn and lodging-house cannot exist.
The primary rocks, ... I regard as the deposits of a period in which the earth's crust had sufficiently cooled down to permit the existence of a sea, with the necessary denuding agencies,-waves and currents,-and, in consequence, of deposition also; but in which the internal heat acted so near the surface, that whatever was deposited came, matter of course, to be metamorphosed into semi-plutonic forms, that retained only the stratification.