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Washington Irving was born in 1783 in New York City as the American Revolution came to a close. The youngest of eleven children, he was named for the war hero and first American president, George Washington, whose inauguration he attended in 1789 at the age of six. Irving went on to get a degree in law but did not consider himself a good student and chose instead to pursue writing. Irving is considered by many to be the first internationally popular American writer and is sometimes called “the Father of American Literature.” He was the first American writer to make a living from his writing and is known for his satirical and humorous tone. Irving’s work painted a portrait of American life as its own unique melting-pot culture in spite of its youth. Works such as “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” and “Rip Van Winkle” put a uniquely American spin on European folklore. Irving’s satirical essays, A History of New York, and biography, A History of the Life and Voyages of Christopher Columbus, also helped to present a uniquely American history and identity. However, A History of the Life and Voyages of Christopher Columbus is now considered historical fiction, due to Irving’s many hyperbolic embellishments. In fact, Irving can be credited with many modern misconceptions about Christopher Columbus, particularly his characterization of the man as heroic rather than barbaric and the false idea that Columbus’s contemporaries believed the earth to be flat.

In addition to writing, Irving spent time abroad as a diplomat in England and Spain. He also spent time in France and Germany. His travels greatly influenced his work. In Spain, his classic children’s book Tales of the Alhambra is still popular today. Irving spent his later years turning his home in Tarrytown, New York into a sanctuary for other writers, artists, and political leaders of the day. In addition to his literary contributions, he also worked to strengthen copyright laws. In the late 1990s, North Tarrytown, long presumed to be the inspiration for the setting of “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow,” officially changed its name to Sleepy Hollow. Today, his estate and the towns of Sleepy Hollow and Tarrytown are tourist destinations, particularly popular in the fall for Halloween festivities.

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