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Whitney family

The Whitney family is a formerly prominent American family descended from non-Norman English immigrant John Whitney (1592–1673), who left London in 1635 and settled in Watertown, Massachusetts. The historic family mansion in Watertown, known as The Elms, was built for the Whitneys in 1710.[1] The Whitneys today continue to be involved in philanthropic efforts due to the wealth accumulated by past generations. They are also members of the Episcopal Church.[2]

For other people with this surname, see Whitney (surname).

Whitney family

United States

England

John Whitney

Until the mid-20th century, successive generations of the Whitney family had a significant impact on American 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, with Yale law professor Paul Finkleman writing that "slaves were a profitable investment before the cotton gin and an even more profitable investment after its invention".[4] In 1844, Asa Whitney launched a campaign for a railway linking the country's west to the east that ultimately resulted in the first 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 country's economy through conglomerates such as Pan Am, J.H. Whitney & Company, and Freeport-McMoran. Beginning with William Collins Whitney, members of the Whitney family would also become major figures for more than a century in the breeding and racing of Thoroughbred horses.[5][6]

Family network[edit]

Associates[edit]

The following is a list of figures closely aligned or subordinate to the Whitney family.

Burnley, James (1901). . Harmsworth Brothers, Limited.

Millionaires and Kings of Enterprise: The Marvellous Careers of Some Americans who by Pluck, Foresight, and Energy Have Made Themselves Masters in the Fields of Industry and Finance

Cutter, William Richard (1908). . Boston, Massachusetts: Lewis Historical Publishing Company.

Genealogical and Personal Memoirs Relating to the Families of Bostaon and Eastern Massachusetts

Dahler, Don (2020). . Princeton Architectural Press. ISBN 978-1-64896-131-1.

Fearless: Harriet Quimbly, A Life Without Limit

Hendrick, Burton Jesse (1920). . New Haven, Connecticut: Yale University Press.

The Age of Big Business: A Chronicle of the Captains of Industry

Ingham, John N. (1983). . Westport, Connecticut: Greenwood Press. ISBN 0-313-23910-X.

Biographical Dictionary of American Business Leaders: V-Z

W. Williams, Peter (2016). Religion, Art, and Money: Episcopalians and American Culture from the Civil War to the Great Depression. University of North Carolina Press.  9781469626987.

ISBN

– dedicated to the scholarly research of Whitney families around the world and throughout history.

Whitney Research Group

July 25, 2008 Bloodhorse.com article titled "The Whitney Handicap: a look at a treasured American family"