Ballou (Hosea) is born in Richmond, New Hampshire.

Hosea Ballou becomes a Baptist minister in Rhode Island, but is excommunicated for his liberal views in 1791. He converts to Universalism in 1794, serves in Massachusetts, Vermont and New Hampshire, and comes to Boston in 1815 to serve as minister of the Second Universalist Church. He dies in Boston on June 7, 1852.