Washington Irving was born in 1783 in New York City. He was the youngest of 11 children born to Scottish-English immigrant parents. He trained as a lawyer but practiced briefly. In 1809, he published A History of New York, which was designed solely for entertainment rather than teaching moral lessons. His fiancée died in 1809, which caused him melancholy for the rest of his life. He traveled throughout Europe, where he wrote The Sketch Book of Geoffrey Crayon, which included "Rip Van Winkle" and "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow." He is considered the first American writer to popularize the short story genre.

2. born in New York City
(near present-day Wall St.)
youngest of 11 children
parents were Scottish-English
immigrants

3. his parents greatly
admired General George
Washington (hence his
name)
his father became a
wealthy merchant
he trained as a lawyer but
practiced only briefly
showed literary promise
early in his life – first
published works appeared

4. 1802-3 published a series of
newspaper articles ridiculing
New York society
1807-8 published the
Salm ag undi papers, satirical
essays
1809 published 1st
major work –
AHisto ry o f Ne w Yo rk
this work marked Irving’s future
course:
it was designed solely for
entertainment
it taught no serious moral lessons

5. First, a newspaper noted the
disappearance of a “small,
elderly gentleman, dressed in
an old back coat and cocked
hat, by the name of
“Knickerbocker,” adding that
there were “some reasons for
believing he is not in his right
mind.”
After further “news” items, the
old man’s fictitious landlord
announced that he had found in
Knickerbocker’s room a “very
curious kind of written book”
which he intended to publish in
order to pay the past rent owed.

6. his fiancée died in 1809
accounts for melancholic cast
over rest of his life and work
“For years I could not talk on
the subject of this hopeless
regret; I could not even
metion her name; but her
image was continually before
me, and I dreamt of her
incessantly.

7. sailed for England to take charge of family business in Liverpool
when it bankrupted, he concentrated on literary career
Met Sir Walter Scott, who directed him to the wealth of unused literary material
found in German folktales.
traveled throughout England, France, Spain, Germany, and Switzerland
wrote history of Christopher Columbus

8. 1819 - 1820
published The
Ske tch-Bo o k o f
Ge o ffre y Crayo n,
it included “Rip Van
Winkle” and “The
Legend of Sleepy
Hollow”
Old Rip

9. By the late 1820s, Irving had
gained a reputation throughout
Europe and
America as a great writer and
thinker

10. returned from Europe to New York
established his home Sunnyside in Tarrytown
never married or had children
for next 25 years he shared Sunnyside with his brother
Ebenezer and Ebenezer's 5 daughters

12. On November
28, 1859, on
the eve of the
Civil War,
Washington
Irving died at
Sunnyside
surrounded by
his family.

13. He was
buried in
the Sleepy
Hollow
Cemetery at
the Old
Dutch
Church

14. 1. Made short fiction popular
After the triumph of The Sketch Book, sketches and tales
became the literary fashion in America
So popular and so many that publishers needed new venues for
them
Short story magazines were born in the 1830s and 40s as an
indirect consequence of Irving’s success as a sketch artist.
1. First prominent writer to strip the prose tale of its moral
and didactic elements and to make of it a literary form
solely for entertainment.
“I have preferred addressing myself to the feeling and fancy of
the reader more that to his judgment… My writings, therefore,
may appear light and trifling to our country of philosophers and
politicians.”

15. 3. He added to the short tale richness of atmosphere
and unity of tone.
4. He added definite locality, actual American scenery
and people.
• He was a pioneer in that new school which demanded an
American literature, an art that would work in native materials
in an original manner.
3. First short fiction writer to realize that the shorter
forms of narrative could be made something new
and different, but that to do it required a peculiar
nicety of execution and patient workmanship.
4. Added humor to the short story and lightness of
touch, making it human and appealing.

16. 7. He was original, avoiding the “commonplace of the
day.”
8. His characters are always definite individuals and
not types or symbols.
9. He endowed the short story with a distinctive and
beautiful style.

17. All photos in this
PowerPoint presentation
came fromthe
American Memory Collection
of the
Library of Congress
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