John Carter Brown
| John Carter Brown | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1797 |
| Died | June 11, 1874 Providence, Rhode Island |
| Nationality | American |
| Alma mater | Brown University |
| Occupation | Book collector |
| Spouse(s) | Sophia Augusta Brown (m. 1859; his death 1874) |
| Children |
John Nicholas Brown I Harold Brown Sophia Augusta Brown |
| Parent(s) |
Nicholas Brown, Jr. Ann Carter |
| Relatives | Nicholas Brown, Sr. (grandfather) |
John Carter Brown II (1797 – June 11, 1874) was a book collector whose library formed the basis of the John Carter Brown Library at Brown University.
John Carter Brown II was born in 1797, the youngest of three surviving children born to Nicholas Brown, Jr. (1769–1841), the namesake patron of Brown University, and Ann Carter, daughter of John Carter, a prominent printer in Providence. His grandfather was Nicholas Brown, Sr. (1729–1791), brother of John Brown, Moses Brown, and Joseph Brown, who was a merchant and slavetrader who co-founded the College in the English Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations.
During his upbringing, he was taught philanthropy and public leadership by his father and his uncles who were involved with such work. he attended what is famously known as Brown University and graduated in 1816.
In 1816, the year of his graduation from Brown, he joined his family owned company Brown & Ives. Due to his older brother Nicholas Carter Brown III leaving the family firm, John shouldered his company responsibilities although it was not his preferred field; Brown & Ives had strong ties to business and politics. He however was into other areas such as history, literature and art.
In 1822, John went to Europe as the beginning of his two-year grand tour, but it initially was to be a business trip on behalf of Brown & Ives. Originally his trips to Europe and the American West had been on “The Revolution of Empires;” he later directed his attention to show that the current historical theme at the time was the movement of people from one home setting to another and the way people could adapt according to each setting. Benjamin Carter, his uncle, later became his mentor. Benjamin was the first to introduce John Carter Brown II to “the great subject”. The great subject refers to the correlation between the new and old worlds including the effect they had on each other as time passes.
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