Beginnings
Clay MacCauley was born on May 8th, 1843 in Chambersburg, Pennsylvania to Isaac H. MacCauley and Elizabeth Maxwell. He was an only child. The MacCauley family was rooted in faith. They were calvinist Presbyterians. Religion was always an important part of Clay MacCauley's life. The future Unitarian minister never questioned the strict calvinistic religious beliefs that were passed onto him until much later in his life. His religious upbringing no doubt played an important role in his lifelong devotion to God. Education was also important to the MacCauley family. Clay was well educated and attended the Chambersburg Academy and the Moravian School.
An Adventurous Spirit
Despite being raised in a deeply religious community, Clay MacCauley had a powerful adventurous spirit. Clay described himself as a happy, energetic, and enthusiastic child. He credits this curiosity and excitement as a child to the "increasing enlightenment of the times". He always had a strong personality that sometimes got him into fights. He was not an aggressive or mean-spirited person, but rather one who was willing to fight for what he perceived as right. In Memories and Memorials, MacCauley describes his tendency toward fights:
"Some of my "battles" were the result of the resentment over wounded self-love and of an instinctive self-defense; but it is pleasant to remember that more often they were the consequence of a natural revolt against what I considered to be injustice, or cruelty, to others. Cruelty to animals, to birds, and even to insects, aroused my fiercest ire"
"Some of my "battles" were the result of the resentment over wounded self-love and of an instinctive self-defense; but it is pleasant to remember that more often they were the consequence of a natural revolt against what I considered to be injustice, or cruelty, to others. Cruelty to animals, to birds, and even to insects, aroused my fiercest ire"
An "Exceptional Liking for Declamation"
Perhaps indicative of his candidness as an adult, Clay was an outspoken boy who developed a love of orating at a young age. He recalls giving orations at as young as six years old. At the mere age of nine years old, he orated a poem about his ambition in a crowded auditorium. It was clear that MacCauley had an innate gift for public speaking and a fearlessness that would allow a young child to command the attention of a large crowd of adults.
Sources
Clay MacCauley. Memories and Memorials; Gatherings from an Eventful Life. Tokyo, Japan: Printed by the Fukuin Printing, 1914.
Thomas E. Graham. “MacCauley, Clay.” American National Biography Online. Oxford University Press, Feb. 2000. http://www.anb.org (accessed November 19, 2016).
http://blogs.dickinson.edu/archive/?p=8797
http://www.theopedia.com/presbyterian
Thomas E. Graham. “MacCauley, Clay.” American National Biography Online. Oxford University Press, Feb. 2000. http://www.anb.org (accessed November 19, 2016).
http://blogs.dickinson.edu/archive/?p=8797
http://www.theopedia.com/presbyterian