Cornelius Mathews (1817–1889) was an American author who played a pivotal role in the mid-nineteenth-century American literary landscape. He is best remembered for his instrumental involvement in establishing "Young America," a prominent literary group formed in the late 1830s. Alongside editor Evert Duyckinck and author William Gilmore Simms, Mathews sought to promote a distinct national literature.\n\nBeyond his organizational efforts and contributions to the Young America movement, Mathews is also remembered for his highly unconventional ideas. Most notably, he held the unique belief that the biblical figures Adam and Eve were actually microbes, a concept that stood out among the intellectual currents of his era.
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