Harvey Newcomb was born in Theford, Vermont on September 2, 1803. From 1826 until 1831, he edited several religious journals, and then went on to write for the American Sunday School Union. He was licensed to preach as a Congregational minister in 1840, and pastored a number of churches in New England. A prolific writer, Newcomb authored 178 books on Church history, apologetics, and Christian character, including The Great Apostasy (1833), The False Prophet (1834), How To Be a Man/Lady (1846), and Kind Words For Children (1859). He died in Brooklyn, New York on August 30, 1863.