Washington Irving

1. The Man behind the “Legend..” Washington Irving

2. Biography 1783-1859 • Named in honour of President George Washington • Born April 3, 1783 in New York (present day Wall Street) • It was the end of Amer. Rev. war (post-war era) • Parents were Scottish-English emigrants • Eleventh child born to Sarah Sanders & William Irving • Father was a deacon and successful merchant • Irving family was kind and charitable to people in need • Older brothers were William & Peter • Washington Irving was born sickly and suffered for years • He was also mischievous, sneaking out to attend plays • Studied law and became a clerk, but he grew to hate law

3. Biography continued… • His social life dominated his days with friends and ladies • He loved to indulge in the arts and partying. • Interests: WRITING, TRAVELING, landscapes, architecture • He will use materials collected from these trips in his stories • Enlisted in the army during the War of 1812 • Served as governors’ aid and military secretary • Wrote articles for newspapers edited by his brother, Peter • Also wrote youthful satires(writing that pokes fun) and essays • Lived in Eng. with brothers for 17 years & went into business • Their business was unsuccessful and began writing for income • His desire at this point was to get married and have a family

4. Biography continued… • Irving’s fiancee, Matilda Hoffman dies tragically. • Irving did not write for the next 6 years. • For a time he was an editor of a magazine • In 1815 his brother, Peter gets ill. Irving tries to run the family farm, but 2 years later declares bankruptcy. • He was named Minister to Spain (Ambassador) by President Tyler and was active in the field of diplomacy. • He suffered from different illnesses. He had a lung ailment at one time and was unable to walk at another point in his life.

5. Biography continued… • Eventually, in 1832 he moved back to America and settled in Tarrytown, NY where he purchased a home he called Sunnyside . It was a Dutch cottage on the banks of the Hudson River. • He lived there with his younger brother, Ebenezer & 5 nieces. • Died on Nov. 28, 1859 on the eve of the Civil War. • He was 76 years old when he passed. This was considered a long life in the 19th century. • He passed surrounded by friends and relatives in his Sunnyside home. • He is buried in Sleepy Hollow Cemetery at the Old Dutch Church in Sleepy Hollow, N.Y.

6. WORKS continued… • Irving was the first American to make a living solely from writing and the first American to gain International success. • His famous stories earned him many honors from the Royal Society, Oxford, Columbia & Harvard. • His most famous work is The Sketch Book, (1819) which includes the stories “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” and “Rip Van Winkle.” • These two stories have become a huge part of American folklore and contribute to the cultural history of the U.S. • Both stories take place in specific areas of NY State and include actual historical events and experiences. • His works were published using the pseudonyms (pen names) of “Geoffrey Crayon, Gent.” or “DiedrichKnickerbocker.”

7. WORKS continued… • His works are known for their humor and vivid description of the beautiful American landscape. • Irving is considered a very important 19th century storyteller. • His stories provide us with what American life was like in the 1600s and early 1800s. • “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” is based on German folklore stories, but set in New York. • The story has been told and readapted into various formats: movies, children’s stories, cartoons, etc. • This story is a legend because it takes place during the Rev. War (which really occurred) and the headless horseman is said to be a Hessian soldier from Germany (which were soldiers which fought in war).

8. WORKS continued… • There are many similarities between Irving’s biography and the things that occur in his stories. Make note of these similarities as you read! • Irving is considered a participant in the Romantic movement in Literature because of his use of the American landscape as a backdrop for his stories. • Romantic movement – a movement in the 19th century that celebrated nature and individualism in the arts. • Transcendentalism – a philosophical movement in the 19th century emphasized nature as the principal source for human inspiration on an almost religious level. Stressed a human’s relationship with nature.

9. 19th Century America • Irving lived and wrote during a very significant time in Amer. • Irving was one of the first truly American writers. • America experienced a great period of economic, physical and social growth. • New concepts of what it meant to be an American developed • Two political systems and governmental documents flourished: The Declaration of Independence & The Constitution. • The Industrial Revolution transformed America from an agricultural (agrarian) societies with farmers, peasants and skilled laborers to industrialized cities with factories, buildings and railroads.