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Joseph Priestley Facts & Worksheets

Joseph Priestley made noteworthy contributions to experimental chemistry, liberal political theory, and religious thought. He left a lasting legacy and is primarily known for his groundbreaking work in the chemistry of gases.

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Joseph Priestley, born on March 13, 1733, near Leeds, England, made noteworthy contributions to experimental chemistry, liberal political theory, and religious thought. He passed away on February 6, 1804, in Northumberland, Pennsylvania, leaving a lasting legacy and primarily known for his groundbreaking work in the chemistry of gases.

See the fact file below for more information about Joseph Priestley, or you can download our 33-page Joseph Priestley worksheet pack to utilize within the classroom or home environment.

Key Facts & Information

EDUCATION AND EARLY CAREER

  • John Priestley was born into a family of somewhat prosperous wool-cloth makers in West Riding, a stronghold of Calvinism in Yorkshire, England. 
  • In 1752, he enrolled at the Dissenting Academy in Daventry, Northamptonshire. 
  • The Act of Uniformity (1662) barred Dissenters—so named because they refused to follow the Church of England—from enrolling in English institutions. 
  • At Daventry, where he obtained a first-rate education in philosophy, physics, languages, and literature, Priestley developed into a “furious freethinker” regarding religion. 
  • He abandoned the atonement and original sin ideas of the Calvinists and adopted a logical Unitarianism that denied the Trinity and affirmed the perfection of man.
  • Priestley served as a clergyman in Needham Market, Suffolk, and Nantwich, Cheshire, between 1755 and 1761. 
  • He started working as a language and literary tutor at the Warrington Academy in Lancashire in 1761. In 1762, he was ordained as a minister of the Dissenters. 
  • That same year, he wed Mary Wilkinson, the ironmaster Isaac Wilkinson’s daughter. Three sons and one girl were born to them.

WORK IN ELECTRICITY

  • Priestley’s interest in science grew after meeting American leader and scientist Benjamin Franklin in 1765. 
  • The publication of The History and Present State of Electricity with Original Experiments (1767) was prompted by Franklin and Priestley.
  • In this piece, Priestley employed historical evidence to demonstrate how the body of “new facts” that the average person might find was more important to the advancement of science than the theoretical realizations of a select group of supermen.
  • Priestley was adamant in his Dissenting that any form of prejudice or dogma stood in the way of personal investigation and judgment, so he preferred “facts” above “hypotheses” in science.
  • Priestley’s electrical experiments—in which he found that charcoal conducts electricity, predicted the inverse square rule of electrical attraction, and observed the connection between electricity and chemical change—were influenced by this perspective on scientific methods. 
  • Based on the findings of these investigations, he was chosen in 1766 to become a member of the Royal Society of London. Due to this line of inquiry, he developed “a larger field of original experiments” in fields other than electricity.

THE CHEMISTRY OF GASES

  • Upon returning to the priesthood in 1767, Priestley conducted groundbreaking chemical experiments at Mill Hill Chapel in Leeds, focusing on gases. 
  • His studies, published in six volumes and numerous articles between 1772 and 1790, detailed discoveries of ten new gases, including oxygen, nitrogen, and nitrous oxide. Priestley’s phlogiston theory explained the chemistry of these gases.
  • Known for his ingenious devices, Priestley enhanced pneumatic techniques, receiving the Copley Medal in 1773. 
  • After relocating to Calne, Wiltshire, he worked as a tutor, challenging his Calvinist upbringing by finding faith in a benevolent God. His insights into air regeneration influenced contemporaries like Jean Senebier and Jan Ingenhousz.
  • Aligning scientific pursuits with entrepreneurial goals, Priestley moved to Birmingham in 1780, joining the Lunar Society. Collaborating with luminaries such as Josiah Wedgwood and James Watt, he aimed to apply science to urban challenges.
  • Despite unsuccessful attempts to treat illnesses with carbonated water, Priestley’s innovations, like the “gasogene” and “eudiometer,” contributed to the soda water industry and broader efforts in sanitary reform. 
  • The Pneumatic Institution in Bristol, founded in 1798, marked a peak in pneumatic medicine interest, led by physician Thomas Beddoes.

THE DISCOVERY OF OXYGEN AND THE CHEMICAL REVOLUTION

  • Priestley’s discovery on August 1, 1774, that red mercuric oxide could be heated to produce a colorless gas has given him a lasting name in science. 
  • He dubbed it “dephlogisticated air” after observing that a candle would burn and a mouse would flourish in it. This idea was based on the notion that regular air became saturated with phlogiston when it could no longer sustain combustion and life. 
  • The following October, Priestley traveled with his patron Shelburne to Belgium, Holland, Germany, and France, where he told the French chemist Antoine Lavoisier how he had gotten the new “air.” 
  • Priestley was still unsure, though, that he had found a “new species of air.” The outcome of this encounter between the two scientists would significantly impact chemistry in the future. 
  • After promptly replicating Priestley’s experiments, Lavoisier carried out extensive research between 1775 and 1780, from which he deduced the fundamental nature of oxygen, identified it as the “active” principle in the atmosphere, explained its function in respiration and combustion, and gave it its name. 
  • The discoveries made by Lavoisier regarding oxygen’s activity transformed chemistry.
  • Priestley continued supporting the phlogiston hypothesis in particular and did not agree with all of Lavoisier’s results. 
  • Priestley’s dissenting perspective grew firmer as he opposed Lavoisier’s “new system of chemistry,” perceiving French chemists as imposing their views on the scientific community, reminiscent of the Anglican “establishment” dictating religious and political doctrines. 
  • In 1800, he issued a concise pamphlet titled “Doctrine of Phlogiston Established and That of the Composition of Water Refuted” to articulate his stance, later expanding it into a book in 1803.
  • What he considered to be the methodological, theoretical, and empirical flaws of the oxygen theory were thoroughly explained in The Doctrine of Phlogiston.
  • Priestley urged us to approach God’s boundless creation with patience, humility, and experimentation. 
  • Chemistry could only be a force for liberty and righteousness if it shied away from conjecture and promoted appreciation of God’s good creation.

THEOLOGY, TEACHING, AND POLITICS

  • In Institutes of Intrinsic and Revealed Religion (1772–74), Priestley rejected Calvinist beliefs, advocating a “Rational Christianity” based on science and David Hartley’s psychology. 
  • He asserted that materialism, determinism, and Unitarianism aligned with a logical interpretation of the Bible.
  • Honored with an LL.D. in 1765, Priestley’s academic achievements included essays on language theory, history, and education. Grounding his views in the “doctrine of association of ideas,” he applied conventional associations to language and used practical instructional methods.
  • Priestley united theory and action in politics, joining the Dissenter movement in 1767 against the Test and Corporation Act.
  • In An Essay on the First Principles of Government (1768), he argued for freedom of expression, worship, and education as essential for human progress. 
  • Advocating for laissez-faire economics, influenced by Adam Smith, Priestley sought limited government authority, inspiring the concept of “the greatest happiness of the greatest number,” later embraced by Jeremy Bentham.

TURMOIL AND EXILE

  • Priestley’s house and laboratory were demolished by the “Church-and-King mob” on July 14, 1791, after the English press and government declared that Priestley’s support of the American and French Revolutions, along with the moral philosopher Richard Price, was “seditious.”
  • Priestley withdrew, and his family took refuge in the safety of Price’s Hackney, near London’s congregation. 
  • Later, Priestley started teaching at Oxford’s New College, and in Letters to the Right Honourable Edmund Burke (1791), he maintained his anti-British government opinions.
  • As England’s conservative response to the French Revolution grew stronger, Priestley’s justification was met with disinterest.
  • His best-known work in the United States, Letters to the Inhabitants of Northumberland (1799), became part of the Republican response against the Federalists. 
  • He emigrated to the United States in 1794 and found a “relatively tolerable” system of government there. Thomas Jefferson, the third president of the United States, mourned and revered Priestley when he passed away in Northumberland, Pennsylvania.

Joseph Priestley Worksheets

This fantastic bundle includes everything you need to know about Joseph Priestley across 33 in-depth pages. These ready-to-use worksheets are perfect for teaching kids about Joseph Priestley. He passed away on February 6, 1804, in Northumberland, Pennsylvania, leaving a lasting legacy and primarily known for his groundbreaking work in the chemistry of gases.

Complete List of Included Worksheets

Below is a list of all the worksheets included in this document.

  1. Joseph Priestley Facts
  2. Discoveries and Contributions
  3. Mysteries of Oxygen
  4. Symbolic Alchemy
  5. Connecting the Dots
  6. Life in Chemistry
  7. Tracing His Influence
  8. Revolutionary Ideas
  9. Multimedia Exploration
  10. Air’s Vital Role
  11. Virtual Interview
  12. GasQuest

Frequently Asked Questions

Who was Joseph Priestley?

Joseph Priestley (1733–1804) was a British theologian, natural philosopher, chemist, educator, and political theorist. He is best known for his discovery of oxygen and his contributions to the development of the modern science of chemistry.

What is Joseph Priestley’s most famous discovery?

Joseph Priestley is most famous for his discovery of oxygen in 1774. He isolated the gas by heating mercuric oxide, recognizing it as a vital component in combustion and respiration. This discovery significantly impacted the understanding of gases and laid the groundwork for the later development of chemistry.

What were some other significant contributions of Joseph Priestley?

Apart from his discovery of oxygen, Joseph Priestley made significant contributions to various fields. He conducted extensive research in electricity and published influential works on the topic. He also contributed to the understanding of photosynthesis by demonstrating the role of plants in purifying air. Additionally, Priestley was an advocate for religious tolerance and a proponent of liberal political ideals, which he expressed in his writings.

How did Joseph Priestley’s discoveries impact science?

Joseph Priestley’s discoveries had a profound impact on the development of science. His isolation of oxygen paved the way for the study of gases and led to advancements in chemistry and biology. His work in electricity contributed to the understanding of this fundamental force. Moreover, his advocacy for religious tolerance and liberal political ideals influenced social and political discourse during his time and beyond.

What is Joseph Priestley’s legacy?

Joseph Priestley’s legacy is multifaceted. He is remembered as a pioneering scientist whose discoveries laid the groundwork for modern chemistry. His contributions to religious tolerance and political liberalism also mark him as a significant figure in the history of ideas. Additionally, his approach to scientific inquiry, characterized by curiosity, experimentation, and openness to new ideas, continues to inspire scientists and thinkers today.

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