James Thomson Callender Quotes


… a hideous hermaphroditical character which has neither the force and firmness for a man, nor the gentleness and sensibility of a woman


Citations

James Thomson Callender, 1758-1802, Journalist, Derogatory description of John Adams

Sourced by: Eigen's Political and Historical Quotations

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  • Died: July 17, 1803
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James Thomson Callender was a political pamphleteer and journalist whose writing was controversial in his native Scotland and later, also in the United States. His contemporary reputation was as a "scandalmonger", due to the content of some of his reporting, which overshadowed the political content — some modern scholars note Callender's writings in favor of democracy. In the United States, he was a central figure in the press wars between the Federalist and Democratic-Republican parties. In the late 1790s, Thomas Jefferson sought him out to attack President John Adams, which Callender did. After Jefferson won the presidency, Callender expected employment as a postmaster, which was denied by Jefferson. Callender then published existing rumors claiming President Jefferson had children with slave Sally Hemings.