Washington Irving ( ) American Romanticism

Washington Irving americanized European folk tales and helped popularize various Dutch, German and British traditions in America

Many people in Europe and England felt that America would never develop a literary voice of its own. Then came Washington Irving...

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

Biographical Information 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

Home of Washington Irving, New York

published a series of newspaper articles published the Salmagundi papers 1809 published 1 st major work – A History of New York it was supposedly written by Diedrich Knickerbocker, an old, eccentric historian One of Irving’s major invented narrators was a man he called One of Irving’s major invented narrators was a man he called Diedrich Knickerbocker. Irving pretended that Knickerbocker was Diedrich Knickerbocker. Irving pretended that Knickerbocker was the author of a book called A History of New York). the author of a book called A History of New York).

Knickerbocker, also spelled Knikkerbakker, Knikkerbacker, and Knickerbacker, is a surname that dates back to the early settlers of New Netherland that was popularized by Washington Irving in 1809 when he published his satirical A History of New York under the pseudonym "Diedrich Knickerbocker". It was also a term for Manhattan's aristocracy "in the early days“ and became a general term, now obsolete, for a New Yorker.

New Netherland was a 17 th -century colonial province of the Seven United Netherlands that was located on the East Coast of North America. The claimed territories extended to the extreme southwestern Cape Cod, while the more limited settled areas are now part of the Mid-Atlantic States of New York, New Jersey, Delaware, and Connecticut, with small outposts in Pennsylvania and Rhode Island.

The mysterious Knickerbocker is supposed to have left the manuscript to his landlord in payment of back rent. This fake and comical history, in which the entire American past was ridiculed established Washington Irving as the main New York satirist.

this work marked Irving’s future course it was designed solely for entertainment it taught no serious moral lessons his fiancée died in 1809 his fiancée died in 1809 accounts for melancholic cast over rest of his life and work.

Career shifts to Europe in 1815 sailed for England to take charge of family business in Liverpool. Stayed abroad for 17 years. when it bankrupted, he concentrated on literary career traveled throughout England, France, Spain, Germany, and Switzerland wrote history of Christopher Columbus

Literary career continues published The Sketch-Book of Geoffrey Crayon, it included “Rip Van Winkle” and “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” it included “Rip Van Winkle” and “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” Old Rip

Irving’s literary pseudonyms Dietrich Knickerbocker Jonathan Oldstyle Jonathan Oldstyle Geoffrey Crayon Geoffrey Crayon

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

Returns to America in 1832 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

Irving acquired his famous home in Tarrytown, New York, known as Sunnyside, in 1835.

Irving on the Porch at Sunnyside

First Genuine American Stories “Rip Van Winkle” “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” contained distinctive American settings and characters contained distinctive American settings and characters incorporated German folktales and legends

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

Old Dutch church in Sleepy Hollow, N.Y. Old Dutch church in Sleepy Hollow, N.Y. He was buried in the Sleepy Hollow emetery at the Old Dutch Church