Snickers
28-abr-2011, 15:36
http://www.ivu.org/history/societies/vegsoc-origins.html
The Origins of the 'Vegetarians'
by John Davis, IVU Historian
Web ivu.org
IVU on Facebook:
http://www.ivu.org/fb.jpg (http://www.facebook.com/InternationalVegUnion)
The word 'vegetarian' is first known to have been used in print in 1842, but in a way which suggested it was laready in use, at least amongst a small group, by that time. It was followed by the formation of the Vegetarian Society in 1847. The idea of living food derived from plants had been around for thousands of years, it was just the word that was new, along with the idea of a secular organisation to promote it.
To understand how this came about we first have to go back to 1809 when the Rev. William Cowherd (http://www.ivu.org/history/england19a/cowherd.html) broke away from other non-conformist churches to form his own - the Bible Christian Church (http://www.ivu.org/history/england19a/bible-christian.html), based in Salford, near Manchester in the north of England. The idea of religions abstaining from flesh-eating was also not new, and again had been around for thousands of years, as practised by Hindus, Jains and some Buddhists. There had even been Christian examples, such as the medieval monasteries, various 'heretical' sects and individuals such as John Wesley, founder of the Methodists, But their abstention was a form of self-denial, they avoided meat because they thought it was good, just as they avoided sex for the same reason. Cowherd developed his ideas from earlier Christian theologians and became the leader of the first known congregation of Christians to avoid eating flesh (but not eggs and dairy products) because they considered it bad - for human health, and out of compassion for the animals.
A few years later Cowherd died but his church continued to flourish, complete with an offshoot in Philadelphia, USA, started by William Metcalfe (http://www.ivu.org/history/usa19/metcalfe.html)who left Salford with 41 followers in 1817. Whilst these two churches did have some influential and wealthy members they were essentially local affairs, largely unknown and ignored by the rest of their respective countries. They continued in their own fairly quiet way for the next 40 years, but meanwhile others were stirring.
During the 1830s and 40s the most creative and dynamic forces in the meat-free world were in the USA. By 1847 the British magazine, the Truth-Tester clearly had a high regard for leaders such as Dr. William Alcott (http://www.ivu.org/history/usa19/william-alcott.html), whose book was well-known in Britain; his cousin Bronson Alcott (http://www.ivu.org/history/usa19/bronson-alcott.html) who had visited London in 1842 and had a school named after him; and Sylvester Graham (http://www.ivu.org/history/usa19/graham.html), perhaps the most charismatic of the group. In 1847 the editor of the Truth-Tester proposed raising funds to pay Graham's expenses to travel to London to give lectures, which he never achieved, though he did eventually succeed in re-printing Graham's two volume book in England. In the summer of the same year there was even a letter from a British resident of Calcutta, India, stating that the he was a vegetarian and followed the Grahamite principles.
The Concordium (http://www.ivu.org/history/thesis/concordium.html), on Ham Common, Richmond, Surrey, near London, was a school following what we now call a vegan diet for all its pupils, and following the teaching ideas of Pestalozzi, which Bronson Alcott had also promoted in Boston, USA. In 1842 Alcott visited the school which had been named Alcott House in his honour.
Shortly after this a new 'Hydropathic Institution' opened in Ramsgate, Kent, also not far from London, in the extreme south east of the country. This was based on ideas from Germany where 'Nature Cure' clinics were catching on. It was run by a Surgeon, but the 'Governor' was one William Horsell and in 1846 he took over as editor of the Truth-Tester. This had been purely a temperance - anti-alcohol - magazine, but Horsell steered it towards promoting the 'Vegetable Diet' as well. There were letters from readers both for and against this change of direction, but it seems to have rapidly become the focal point for 'vegetarians' as they were now becoming known.
But where did the word come from?
Certainly not from the Bible Christians, they had been around for forty years and, whilst they may have been revolutionary in 1809, religious groups tend to stick to their traditions once established. All the records show them referring to 'the vegetable diet' until 1947.
Alcott House School was founded in 1838 as a very revolutionary idea, full of enthusiastic idealistic people - just the sort to indulge in linguistic experiments. Alcott's visit in 1842 was a time of particularly high excitement and must have been anticipated for some time in advance. The word first appeared between 1838-42 just when Alcott House was at its most enthusiastic revolutionary peak. We have now proved Alcott House as the source:
Vegetarian equals Vegan! (http://www.vegsource.com/john-davis/vegetarian-equals-vegan.html)- 'The first people who called themselves 'vegetarian' were in fact vegan. This has now been established conclusively with resources not previously available'. (blog from July 2010)
Americans have always tended towards a more flexible use of the English language, certainly much more than most people in Victorian England. However, there is no evidence that the Americans were using the word themselves - on the contrary, in December 1849 Sylvester Graham wrote a letter to a the successor of the Truth-Tester referring to: the "Vegetarian" cause, as you in England are pleased to call it. (the quotes were his). This makes it quite clear that he saw the word as a British invention.
There has been a long-standing claim that the word was derived from the latin 'vegetus' - apparently meaning 'whole, fresh, lively', but as far back as 1906 a writer in the Manchester-based Vegetarian Society's own magazine knew this was myth, and also suggested Alcott House as the probable real origin. The survival of the 'vegetus' myth is probably due to the need to get round the eggs/dairy problem, and a way of claiming that 'vegetarian' was not just about eating vegetation,
The Origins of the 'Vegetarians'
by John Davis, IVU Historian
Web ivu.org
IVU on Facebook:
http://www.ivu.org/fb.jpg (http://www.facebook.com/InternationalVegUnion)
The word 'vegetarian' is first known to have been used in print in 1842, but in a way which suggested it was laready in use, at least amongst a small group, by that time. It was followed by the formation of the Vegetarian Society in 1847. The idea of living food derived from plants had been around for thousands of years, it was just the word that was new, along with the idea of a secular organisation to promote it.
To understand how this came about we first have to go back to 1809 when the Rev. William Cowherd (http://www.ivu.org/history/england19a/cowherd.html) broke away from other non-conformist churches to form his own - the Bible Christian Church (http://www.ivu.org/history/england19a/bible-christian.html), based in Salford, near Manchester in the north of England. The idea of religions abstaining from flesh-eating was also not new, and again had been around for thousands of years, as practised by Hindus, Jains and some Buddhists. There had even been Christian examples, such as the medieval monasteries, various 'heretical' sects and individuals such as John Wesley, founder of the Methodists, But their abstention was a form of self-denial, they avoided meat because they thought it was good, just as they avoided sex for the same reason. Cowherd developed his ideas from earlier Christian theologians and became the leader of the first known congregation of Christians to avoid eating flesh (but not eggs and dairy products) because they considered it bad - for human health, and out of compassion for the animals.
A few years later Cowherd died but his church continued to flourish, complete with an offshoot in Philadelphia, USA, started by William Metcalfe (http://www.ivu.org/history/usa19/metcalfe.html)who left Salford with 41 followers in 1817. Whilst these two churches did have some influential and wealthy members they were essentially local affairs, largely unknown and ignored by the rest of their respective countries. They continued in their own fairly quiet way for the next 40 years, but meanwhile others were stirring.
During the 1830s and 40s the most creative and dynamic forces in the meat-free world were in the USA. By 1847 the British magazine, the Truth-Tester clearly had a high regard for leaders such as Dr. William Alcott (http://www.ivu.org/history/usa19/william-alcott.html), whose book was well-known in Britain; his cousin Bronson Alcott (http://www.ivu.org/history/usa19/bronson-alcott.html) who had visited London in 1842 and had a school named after him; and Sylvester Graham (http://www.ivu.org/history/usa19/graham.html), perhaps the most charismatic of the group. In 1847 the editor of the Truth-Tester proposed raising funds to pay Graham's expenses to travel to London to give lectures, which he never achieved, though he did eventually succeed in re-printing Graham's two volume book in England. In the summer of the same year there was even a letter from a British resident of Calcutta, India, stating that the he was a vegetarian and followed the Grahamite principles.
The Concordium (http://www.ivu.org/history/thesis/concordium.html), on Ham Common, Richmond, Surrey, near London, was a school following what we now call a vegan diet for all its pupils, and following the teaching ideas of Pestalozzi, which Bronson Alcott had also promoted in Boston, USA. In 1842 Alcott visited the school which had been named Alcott House in his honour.
Shortly after this a new 'Hydropathic Institution' opened in Ramsgate, Kent, also not far from London, in the extreme south east of the country. This was based on ideas from Germany where 'Nature Cure' clinics were catching on. It was run by a Surgeon, but the 'Governor' was one William Horsell and in 1846 he took over as editor of the Truth-Tester. This had been purely a temperance - anti-alcohol - magazine, but Horsell steered it towards promoting the 'Vegetable Diet' as well. There were letters from readers both for and against this change of direction, but it seems to have rapidly become the focal point for 'vegetarians' as they were now becoming known.
But where did the word come from?
Certainly not from the Bible Christians, they had been around for forty years and, whilst they may have been revolutionary in 1809, religious groups tend to stick to their traditions once established. All the records show them referring to 'the vegetable diet' until 1947.
Alcott House School was founded in 1838 as a very revolutionary idea, full of enthusiastic idealistic people - just the sort to indulge in linguistic experiments. Alcott's visit in 1842 was a time of particularly high excitement and must have been anticipated for some time in advance. The word first appeared between 1838-42 just when Alcott House was at its most enthusiastic revolutionary peak. We have now proved Alcott House as the source:
Vegetarian equals Vegan! (http://www.vegsource.com/john-davis/vegetarian-equals-vegan.html)- 'The first people who called themselves 'vegetarian' were in fact vegan. This has now been established conclusively with resources not previously available'. (blog from July 2010)
Americans have always tended towards a more flexible use of the English language, certainly much more than most people in Victorian England. However, there is no evidence that the Americans were using the word themselves - on the contrary, in December 1849 Sylvester Graham wrote a letter to a the successor of the Truth-Tester referring to: the "Vegetarian" cause, as you in England are pleased to call it. (the quotes were his). This makes it quite clear that he saw the word as a British invention.
There has been a long-standing claim that the word was derived from the latin 'vegetus' - apparently meaning 'whole, fresh, lively', but as far back as 1906 a writer in the Manchester-based Vegetarian Society's own magazine knew this was myth, and also suggested Alcott House as the probable real origin. The survival of the 'vegetus' myth is probably due to the need to get round the eggs/dairy problem, and a way of claiming that 'vegetarian' was not just about eating vegetation,