John Melish

John Melish (1771-1822) was born in Glasgow, Scotland on June 13, 1771.  The formative years were difficult for Melish, as he was orphaned at a young age. In spite of these adversities, however, Melish would become an apprentice at a leading Glasgow textile manufacturer, and in his spare time, he would study at the University of Glasgow. His talents and abilities were eventually rewarded when he was made a full partner of the textile manufacturer where he worked. Soon after, his work in the textile business afforded him the opportunity to travel to the West Indies in 1798, where he would remain for eight years, before travelling to the United States. Upon arriving in the United States, Melish would undertake a five year tour across the country, and would eventually settle in Philadelphia. Melish’s journal from his tour would form the substance of his two-volume treatise Travels through the United States of America. This work was originally published in 1812, and would go through several editions which included corrections and additions. Included in this work was an abundance of economic and geographical information. One keen admirer of Melish’s Travels was Thomas Jefferson, who convinced by Melish, reversed his long-held belief of letting the workshops remain in Europe. Melish would then establish his cartography and mapmaking business in Philadelphia, which was the first of its kind in the United States. In 1816, he would also be responsible for producing the first map that captured the full territory of the United States.

Melish’s Travels, although pro-manufacturing, mostly dealt with the topic in a tangential manner. Between 1818 and 1820, however, Melish would write two pamphlets addressed to President James Monroe, which dealt exclusively with the topic. The first of these pamphlets was entitled The Necessity of Protecting and Encouraging the Manufactures of the United States, and the second was A Letter to James Monroe, Esq. President of the United States, on the  State of the Country: With a Plan for Improving the Conditions of Society. Melish’s first pamphlet was well received by fellow protectionist Hezekiah Niles, who considered it “an interesting little work, and, so far as we are judges of what is true political economy, [it is] a very excellent one.”  John Melish would pass away on December 30, 1822.