Samuel Johnson was an influential 18th-century clergyman, educator, and philosopher living in colonial America. Born in Guilford, Connecticut, he became a prominent figure of the American Enlightenment, introducing modern scientific and philosophical ideas to local academic institutions. He served as a tutor at Yale College and later became the founding president of King's College, an Anglican institution that would eventually be renamed Columbia University. Throughout his long career, he worked as a linguist, historian, and theologian, contributing significantly to the intellectual landscape of the colonies.