Washington Irving
Sign in to saveAmerican writer, historian and diplomat (1783-1859)
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Washington Irving was an American writer, historian, and diplomat who lived from 1783 to 1859. He is remembered as an influential figure in American literature and public service during the early decades of the United States.
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Person · Open Library
- Born
- 3 April 1783
- Died
- 28 November 1859
- Works
- 1922
via Open Library + Wikidata
Film & TV
Writing · New York City, New York
via TMDB
Listeners · Last.fm
- Listeners
- 5,499
- Total plays
- 57,579
Tags
Scottishfolkindie popfolk rockglasgow
Washington Irving are a Scottish indie rock band based in Glasgow, originally hailing from Oban. Their music echoes the traditional folk music of their home, merged with their love of playing music loud! <a href="https://www.last.fm/music/Washington+Irving">Read more on Last.fm</a>
Article
Washington Irving (April 3, 1783 – November 28, 1859) was an American short-story writer, essayist, biographer, historian, and diplomat of the early 19th century. He wrote the short stories "Rip Van Winkle" (1819) and "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" (1820), both of which appear in his collection The Sketch Book of Geoffrey Crayon, Gent. His historical works include biographies of Oliver Goldsmith, Muhammad, and George Washington, as well as several histories of 15th-century Spain that deal with subjects such as the Alhambra, Christopher Columbus, and the Moors. Irving served as the American ambassador to Spain in the 1840s.
Irving was born and raised in Manhattan to a merchant family. He made his literary debut in 1802 with a series of observational letters to the Morning Chronicle, written under the pseudonym Jonathan Oldstyle. He temporarily moved to England for the family business in 1815, where he achieved fame with the publication of The Sketch Book of Geoffrey Crayon, Gent. which was serialized from 1819 to 1820. He continued to publish regularly throughout his life, and he completed a five-volume biography of George Washington just eight months before his death at age 76 in Tarrytown, New York.
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1783 births1859 deaths19th-century American biographers19th-century American diplomats19th-century American dramatists and playwrights19th-century American historians19th-century American short story writers19th-century American travel writers19th-century pseudonymous writersAmbassadors of the United States to SpainAmerican essayistsAmerican Hispanists