Short Biography: The Life Of Henry Knox

The Life of Henry Knox Henry Knox was born on July 25, 1970, in Boston, Massachusetts, to William and Mary Knox. William, a shipbuilder, soon completed a considerable amount of debt, and in result he fled to the West Indies where eventually he would die in 1759. Henry studied Greek, Latin, arithmetic, and European history at the Boston Latin School until shortly after his twelfth birthday. His family’s need of financial support forced him to become a clerk at the local bookstore. The store’s proprietor, Nicholas Bowes, soon stepped in as a father figure and mentor for young Henry. Although Bowes was a very positive influence on him, Henry subsequently became associated with the city’s roughest street gangs at the time. As a result of the constant struggle throughout his childhood, Henry quickly grew to be one of the strongest brawlers in his area. Eventually Henry got away from the gangs when he got a job at a nearby artillery company called The Train. At the age of 22, Henry left The Train and partnered with an acquaintance to start their own artillery company called The Boston Grenadier Corps to compete with The Train. A couple of years before Henry left The Train, he was a first-hand witness of the infamous Boston Massacre, which he reportedly attempted to prevent. Although he failed to obviate the colonists’ killings, Knox did attest to what happened at the trials of the British soldiers involved in the shooting. This resulted in the …show more content…
Knox resigned his position in the army in 1784, and went on to succeed Benjamin Lincoln’s position of Secretary at War. While holding the position of Secretary at War,which later changed to Secretary of War, Knox promoted the idea of a peacetime army and the establishment of a regular United States Navy. Knox greatly believed in holding our nation accountable and keeping America's reputation