JOSEPH PRIESTLEY1733-1804 (OLD STYLE CALENDER)

KEY POINTS OF HIS LIFE

Credited with the discovery of Oxygen

Invented soda water

His works on Electricity

Father of Carbonation Discovered a total of 9 distinct gases

Improving the English Grammar

Published over 150 works!!!

EARLY LIFE

Born in Fieldhead.

Oldest of the 6 children.Learned Greek and Latin at an early age.

Had tuberculosis at mid-teen.

Learned 6 other languages.

Privately studied geometry, algebra and mathematics.

Joseph’s birthplace in Fieldhead.

At the age of four he could flawlessly recite all 107

questions and answers in the Shorter Catechism.

EDUCATION

His rich aunt sought the best education for him.

The goal of his boyhood was the ministry.

He learned a total of 9 languages upon

reaching adulthood.

Enrolled at Daventry Academy.

He became a rational dissenter for he

also saw the corruption of the church.

WARRINGTON ACADEMY

Joseph assumed the post of a tutor at Warrington.

He argued that the education of the young should anticipate

their future practical needs.

He recommended modern languages instead of classical

languages and modern rather than ancient history.

All of the books Priestley published while at Warrington

emphasized the study of history.

Was granted a Doctor of Law degree in 1764, because his

lectures were just SO DARN GOOD!

ELECTRICITY

Benjamin Franklin awakened Joseph

interest in electricity.

Discovered that only water and metal can

conduct electricity.

Came up with the idea that electrical force

followed an inverse-square law

JOSEPH’S WORK BECAME THE STANDARD

HISTORY OF ELECTRICITY FOR OVER A CENTURY.

SEVERAL FAMOUS PEOPLE ALL RELIED UPON IT.

Joseph’s electrical machine

THIS PAGE INTENDED TO BE DANGEROUSLY INTERESTING! While in India, Joseph STUMBLED upon vegetable gum and

found out that it was EXCELLENT in erasing lead-pencil marks.

He was the FIRST to discover this, but he did not exploit the

commercial potential of this substance, which he dubbed as ‘rubber’.

New eraser on the left, older one on the right

Dephlogisticated Air (OXYGEN)

On August 1, 1774, an experiment conducted, focused sunlight on

mercuric oxide (HgO) inside a glass tube, which liberated a gas he

named Dephlogisticated air.

“i have discovered an air five or six times as good as common air.”

The lab where Joseph discovered Oxygen.

SODA WATER

Joseph discovered a method of infusing

water with carbon dioxide.

There would be no soda pop if this was

not invented.

Photosynthesis

Joseph was the first person to observe photosynthesis.

Plants restore to the air whatever breathing animals and burning

candles remove (by taking in carbon dioxide and releasing oxygen).

“the injury which is continually done to the atmosphere by the respiration of such a large number of animals...is, in part at least, repaired by the vegetable creation”.

English GRAMMAR-The Rudiments of English Grammar -

Popular English Grammar Book written by Joseph Priestley

Joseph believed that students should have a good grasp of

English Grammar before learning other languages.

Reprinted for over fifty years!!

It’s humor may have contributed to it’s popularity.

She's now at rest, and so am I

“beneath this stone, my wife doth lie:

she’s now at rest, and so am i.”

Dissent

Joseph was a dissenter, one who disagrees in matters of

opinion, beliefs, etc in the religious history of England.

Dissenters separated themselves from the established churches.

His works on religion were extremely controversial because

many did not like dissenters.

On July 14 1791, a large mob burned down Joseph and his

colleague’s homes. He was forced to flee with his family.

Precious manuscripts of works, some of which were as yet

unpublished were burnt.

Legacy

Priestley had been made a member of every major

scientific society in the world.

Was praised: "the father of modern chemistry [who]

never acknowledged his daughter“.

Two Schools named after him.

Priestley's aim to "put the most 'advanced'

Enlightenment ideas into the service of a rationalized

Christianity, under the guidance of

the basic principles of scientific method"

The American Chemical Society

named its highest honor the Priestley

Medal in 1922.

Bibliography

http://www.essortment.com/all/josephpriestly_rskm.htm

http://www.woodrow.org/teachers/ci/1992/Priestley.html

http://www.chemheritage.org/classroom/chemach/forerunners/priestley.html

http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_did_Joseph_Priestly_do&src=ansTT

http://www.irazoo.com/SearchResults.aspx?q=joseph+priestly+inventions&Page=1

http://chronicles.dickinson.edu/encyclo/p/ed_priestleyJ.html

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Priestley.jpg

http://www.cobbk12.org/pope/Resources/tutorclip.jpg

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Rudiments_of_English_Grammar

http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/A26151419