Photius Fisk
Photius Fisk, also known as Photius Kavasales or Kavasalis, was a Greek-American statesman, botanist, philanthropist, clergyman, abolitionist, and civil rights activist. He is known for lobbying to end flogging in the U.S. Navy. Congress officially passed the law in 1850. The legislation was particularly beneficial to slaves working in the U.S. Navy. Fisk funded countless abolitionist causes and erected several monuments for abolitionists. He had a saffron or bronze complexion. Photius dedicated his life to the poor and destitute.
Early life
Photius Kavasalis Fisk was born on the island of Hydra. At an early age, his family moved to Smyrna where his father was employed as an accountant in a mercantile house. Around 1814, a plague wiped out most of the Kavasalis family. His father, mother, two brothers, and two sisters were all dead. Photius was also infected with the plague but recovered. Photius moved to Malta to live with his older brother Athanasius. In 1821, the Greek War of Independence began. Photius was about thirteen years old. His brother Athanasius joined the Greek revolution and fought in many battles.During the summer of 1822, Kavasalis met American Missionary Pliny Fisk. Kavasalis was living with his uncle Panages Maneses. Kavasalis decided he wanted to become a missionary. His uncle consulted a local priest and wanted a full explanation of the biblical study his nephew would learn in America. The orthodox priest also inquired about the educational practices of the missionaries. The priest John Karavelles decided to send his son Anastasius with Kavasalis. Photius was instructed that he could not marry. Both boys boarded a ship called the America in Malta. They spoke Greek, Italian, and Maltese. Neither spoke English.
The boys arrived in the United States on George Washington's Birthday February 22, 1823. The children traveled throughout New England and saw the most majestic churches. When they arrived in Boston they met many Americans of distinction. They also met Ex-President John Quincy Adams. Both of the young men were sent to a mission school in Cornwall, Connecticut. They were instructed by Mr. Daggett the principal of the school. They learned basic English. Both of the boys were young and far away from home. The young men met the governor of Connecticut Oliver Wolcott Jr. He invited them to his house on their next vacation. Deacon Loomis told Photius and Anastasius they could not travel to the Governor's house because they had to plow the fields over summer vacation. They lived and went to school on a school farm. The boys disobeyed and secretly traveled to the Governor's house. The entire town thought they drowned. They enjoyed their summer vacation and lived like royalty. The Governor intervened at the school and they were allowed back to pursue their education.
By the late fall of 1823, Photius and Anastasius were transferred to New Haven Connecticut. The boys learned English. They were attending Hopkins Academy in New Haven Connecticut. They remained at the institution for two years. They were with Rev. Dr. Herrick. They studied English, Greek Latin, arithmetic, algebra, geography, and the other required education. The boys were preparing to attend college at Amherst Massachusetts. Regrettably, the Board of Foreign Missions separated Photius and Anastasius. They no longer lived together.
They were sent to Amherst and attended an academy affiliated with Amherst College. At this institution, they were preparing to attend Amherst. It was similar to a pre-college. They learned Greek and Latin languages, algebra, geometry, astronomy, and other branches. Photius and Anastasius were not allowed to leave the school because they were from a foreign country. They needed special permission such as a leave of absence during the summer vacation. The son of a prominent pastor invited Photius to vacation in Brattleboro, Vermont. Anastasius warned and pleaded with him not to leave. Photius enjoyed an amazing summer riding on horseback in Vermont. Photius returned to Amherst in the fall and he was informed by the President of Amherst College Heman Humphrey that he was expelled. It was his second offense against the Board of Foreign Missions. They sent Photius back to his uncle in Malta. Anastasius continued his studies but decided not to become a pastor and studied law instead.
Slavery and the Americas
Photius was back in Malta with his uncle Panages Maneses, who secured a position for Photius in the newly formed Greek government. Photius had a special order signed by Ioannis Kapodistrias.The Photius took a ship called the Helene to Aegina, where he was instructed to wait for the outcome of the Battle of Navarino. Instead, Photius took the forty dollars given to him by Ioannis Kapodistrias and traveled to Smyrna. He wanted to travel back to the United States to finish his education, so he found a captain traveling to New York.
However, the ship never made it to New York City, and instead Photius was stranded on the Caribbean island of Martinique. Luckily, he was already acquainted with the American consul at New Haven; he knew him from New Haven.
Martinique was where Photius first witnessed chattel slavery. He was horrified, and formed a deep personal hatred for slavery; he already had been taught about the horrors of Ottoman slavery when he was a child, and the institution instilled fear in him, and seeing slavery firsthand reinforced the horror.
He was able to find passage to New York from the island, but first had to stop in Wilmington, North Carolina. At this location, he witnessed American Slavery, and found the institution was even more horrific than what he saw in Martinique.
In 1828, Photius found himself stranded in New York City without any money. Gerard Halleck, wealthy philanthropist and editor of the Journal of Commerce, helped Photius in the beginning. Photius worked as a pharmacist on Greenwich Street in Manhattan. He also worked at a hardware store on Broadway. He stayed in New York City for several years.
Here began his work as an abolitionist. He attended revival meetings and met Samuel Hanson Cox, an abolitionist minister who integrated his congregation, allowing African-American members. His church was called the Laight Street Church and was located at the corner of Laight and Varick streets. Arthur Tappan was a member. African American Presbyterian Reverend Samuel Cornish attended services and sat next to Arthur Tappan. Cox preached that Jesus may have had dark skin. This information traveled throughout New York City and an anti-abolitionist mob formed, eventually leading to the New York anti-abolitionist riots. The mob attacked the Laight Street Church and destroyed Cox's home. Cox ultimately fled the city with his family and Photius.
Photius was invited to become a member of the Congregationalist church. He devoted the rest of his life to the gospel ministry and the abolitionist cause. He was accepted on full scholarship by Dr. Rev Samuel Hanson Cox. From 1834 to 1837, Cox held a position at the Auburn Theological Seminary in Auburn, New York; it was a safe place for the minister and his family. Photius stayed at the institution for three years as they prepared him for the Gospel ministry.
Photius was no longer under the restriction he once experienced in New England, and freely enjoyed his summer vacations. On one occasion he traveled to Niagara Falls. A poem was written in his honor by his friend Carruth. The poem explained their entire visit to Niagara Falls. He noted that Photius was adventurous, and went under the falls to retrieve a stone.
After a rigorous examination, Photius finished his studies as a minister and was placed at a church in Halifax, Vermont. After he became a minister he started to go by the name Fisk.
U.S. Navy Chaplain
He did not like Halifax, Vermont, because of the cold weather. Vermont was an abolitionist-friendly state. Philhellene and abolitionist Jonathan Peckham Miller lived in Vermont. After a while, he traveled to New York and other parts of the northeast preaching in different cities. By 1840, he was in Washington D.C. preaching.John Quincy Adams was a member of the House of Representatives. He was acquainted with Photius. He invited Photius to become a Navy Chaplain. Samuel L. Southard, Joshua Reed Giddings and other members of the Government approved his nomination. Some members knew he was an abolitionist but the Legislative and Executive branches approved his nomination. He was stationed on the frigate Columbia.
On July 22, 1842, the ship left New York on course for Africa pursuing slave trading vessels. Regrettably, the captain and most of the officers on the vessel owned slaves. They did not actively pursue the traders. Photius was very open about his views on slavery which created animosity with some officers. By November 1842, the frigate Columbia was in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Photius was an educated scholar. He showed an interest in the sciences. While in Brazil, he collected mineral specimens and made scientific observations. He collected the specimens for Amherst College and other institutions in the United States.
The frigate Columbia cruised the South American waters for more than a year. The captain and crew were ordered to join the Mediterranean Squadron in February 1844, they set sail. Captain Edward Rutledge Shubrick suddenly died on March 12, 1844. He was Rear Admiral William Shubrick's brother. The crew reached the American Naval Station at Mahón. Chaplain Fisk performed the funeral rights. Commander Joseph Smith and all the officers of the Mediterranean Squadron and the entire crew of the Columbia were at the funeral.
The frigate Columbia traveled all over Europe and eventually reached Naples. Photius requested a leave of absence. The leave was granted by Commander Joseph Smith. Photius arrived in Hydra, Greece and found some of his relatives. He was looking for his mother's sister but she was dead. He found his first cousin living in poverty and gave her all his money. He traveled to Athens and met Rev. Jonas King. While he was in Athens, he attended one of the King's Balls and was introduced to the king of Greece. The U.S. Consul gave Photius money to return to the fleet because he had given everything to his cousin. After a cruise of two and a half years, the frigate Columbia arrived at Norfolk, Virginia on Dec. 30, 1844.