Jewett, William Cornell (1823-1893)

US publicist and peace advocate. During the US Civil War he travelled to Europe to plead for peaceful resolution of the war. Known as ‘Colorado Jewett’, he travelled back and forth across the Atlantic to lobby for his cause, issuing a universal appeal for peace in 1864. He attempted to negotiate an end to the war by bringing representatives from the North and South to Niagara Falls in July 1864, but the war proceeded despite his intervention.

He was born in New York City. His early history in the West was obscure and there were those who questioned the source of his fortune. But after settling in California and then Colorado he was wealthy enough to dedicate his life to pacifism. His first appearance in this regard was as a delegate from Pike's Peak at a Colorado peace convention in 1861.