Whitney family | |
---|---|
Country | United States |
Place of origin | London, England |
Founded | 1624 (first child in England) 1635 (first child in North America) |
Founder | John Whitney |
Connected families | Paget family Vanderbilt family |
Estate(s) | The Elms Watertown, Massachusetts |
The Whitney family is an American family founded by John Whitney (1592–1673) who immigrated from London, England to Watertown, Massachusetts, in 1635. The historic family mansion in Watertown, known as The Elms, was built for the Whitneys in 1710.[1] Today, the Whitneys occupy a distinguished position in American society as a result of their entrepreneurship, wealth, and philanthropy. They are also members of the Episcopal Church.[2]
Throughout the United States' existence, successive generations of the Whitney family have had a significant impact on its history. Eli Whitney's invention of the cotton gin in 1793 enabled cotton seeds to be removed 50 times faster, a breakthrough which led the country to become home to 75% of the world's cotton supply.[3] This caused the demand for slaves to increase rapidly, “Slaves were a profitable investment before the cotton gin and an even more profitable investment after its invention,” law professor Paul Finkleman argued in the Yale Journal of Law and the Humanities.[4] Beginning in 1844, Asa Whitney launched a campaign for a railway linking the American West to the East Coast that ultimately resulted in the first American transcontinental railroad. Upon taking office as U.S. Secretary of the Navy in 1885, William Collins Whitney oversaw the American fleet's widespread adoption of steel ships, an event essential to the United States becoming a leading world power. During the 20th century, family members continued to exercise massive influence over the U.S. economy through nationwide conglomerates such as Pan Am, J.H. Whitney & Company and Freeport-McMoran.
Beginning with William Collins Whitney, members of the Whitney family would become major figures for more than a century in the breeding and racing of Thoroughbred horses.[5][6]
By marriage: