So that meant I had to google it. Not much to add on this one, except to say that he coined this phrase in 1837 in his story ‘The Creole Village’. Some literary scholars consider this work of burlesque fiction to be his greatest book. After a 17-year absence Irving returned to New York in 1832, where he was warmly received. He was 19 years old. By using ThoughtCo, you accept our. While I have come across some of these in the book I hadn’t heard of all of them, so thanks! Washington Irving left New York, bound for France, in 1804, and didn't return to America for two years. Washington Irving was born on April 3, 1783, in New York City. Irving was responsible for the ‘flat earth’ myth. The main character of “Rip Van Winkle” is a henpecked husband who sleeps for 20 years and awakes as an old man to find his wife dead, his daughter happily married, and America now an independent country. Washington Irving was the first to feature St, Nicholas soaring in the sky in a wagon - an image he included in a dream sequence in his book A History of New York. The volume was a fanciful and often satirical history of his beloved New York City as told by an eccentric old Dutch historian, Diedrich Knickerbocker. lol. Great facts! In 1820, he published "The Sketch Book of Geoffrey Crayon, Gent," a collection of stories including his best-known works, "Rip Van Winkle" and "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow." Thank you! Washington Irving (April 3, 1783 – November 28, 1859) was an American author, essayist, biographer, historian, and diplomat of the early 19th century. Like Dickens, he wrote five Christmas stories, and, like Dickens also, he championed traditional festive customs which had fallen out of favour (and which he had experienced while staying in England shortly before this). I was unaware of Irving’s role in the evolution of our Christmas celebrations. Esther Lombardi, M.A., is a journalist who has covered books and literature for over twenty years. Early in 1826 he accepted the invitation of Alexander H. Everett to attach himself to the American legation in Spain, where he wrote his Columbus (1828), followed by The Companions of Columbus (1831). This print imagines Washington Irving entertaining his literary contemporaries at Sunnyside. Here they’ve been making nutcrackers, incense burning figures, etc. Yes, New York again. After a few years back in the United States, Irving returned to Spain, serving as the U.S. minister to Spain from 1842–1845 under President John Tyler. He never again became seriously involved with a woman and remained unmarried. Updates? Irving is best-known for these two fairy tales. Irving was then appointed secretary of the U.S. legation to London in 1829, a post he held until 1832. Most of the book’s 30-odd pieces concern Irving’s impressions of England, but six chapters deal with American subjects. On his return he passed the bar examination late in 1806 and soon set up as a lawyer. Indeed, the main bone of contention in the 1490s – at the time of Columbus’s ‘discovery’ of the New World – was more the size, rather than the shape of the world. Biography of Washington Irving, Father of the American Short Story. He made a journey west and produced in rapid succession A Tour of the Prairies (1835), Astoria (1836), and The Adventures of Captain Bonneville (1837). Great writer. His older brothers often supported him as he pursued his writing interests, and he started the literary magazine Salmagundi with his brother William. Ellie, Pingback: Dickens’s A Christmas Carol at 170 | Interesting Literature, Pingback: Why you should read “A Christmas Carol” by Charles Dickens — this epic turns 170 yrs. George Washington Carver was an African American scientist and educator. In 1815 he left New York for England, ostensibly to help his brothers stabilize their importing business after the War of 1812. His tour of Europe broadened his mind and gave him material for later writing. In 1807-8 Washington and his brother William wrote a collection of humorous essays titled Salamagundi. By signing up for this email, you are agreeing to news, offers, and information from Encyclopaedia Britannica. In 1811 he moved to Washington, D.C., as a lobbyist for the Irving brothers’ hardware-importing firm, but his life seemed aimless for some years. This article was most recently revised and updated by, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Washington-Irving, George Washington's Mount Vernon - Biography of Washington Irving, United States History - Biography of Washington Irving, Washington Irving - Children's Encyclopedia (Ages 8-11), Washington Irving - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up), A History of New York . Washington Irving's story "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" would go on to be featured in various forms of media including a feature film starring Johnny Depp.