19th Century American Authors Biographical Timeline Posters
for the language arts and social studies classrooms, home schoolers.

Herman Melville
b. 8-1-1819; New York City
d. 9-28-1891; New York City

Herman Melville is best known for his novels based on his sea travels, most notably his masterpiece Moby-Dick. Although most of his works were not appreciated during his lifetime, today he is regarded as one of America's greatest writers.

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Edgar Allan Poe
b. 1-19-1809; Boston, MA
d. 10-7-1849, Baltimore, MD

One of the first American writers to become a major figure in world literature, Edgar Allan Poe was a poet, short story writer, editor, and literary critic. His stories and poems reflect a fascination with mysterious, dreamlike, and, sometimes, macabre subjects. He is viewed as the inventor of the modern detective story.

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Henry David Thoreau
b. 7-12-1817; Concord, MA
d. 5-6-1862; Concord, MA

Henry David Thoreau, one of America's greatest literary figures, was also a renowned naturalist, philosopher, and advocate of civil liberties. His keen observations and intense interest in nature is evident in all of his works, most notably his classic, Walden. A champion of the human spirit and critic of materialism and confomity, Thoreau advocated simple principled living.

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Mark Twain
b. 11-30-1835; Missouri
d. 4-21-1910; Connecticut

Widely celebrated American writer, journalist, and humorist, Mark Twain (pseudonym of Samuel Clemens) won a worldwide audience for novels set in his boyhood world beside the Mississippi River. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is considered his masterpiece for its vivid descriptions, humor, and satire.

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Walt Whitman
b. 5-31-1819; Long Island, NY
d. 3-26-1892; Camden, NJ

Walt Whitman, often described as America's most innovative and influential poet, published eight editions of his famous Leaves of Grass. He hoped his accessible, experimental free verse would be read by average Americans and transform their way of thinking.

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Paul Laurence Dunbar
b. 6-27-1872; Dayton, OH
d. 2-9-1906

Paul Laurence Dunbar was a prolific writer of poetry - in both the dialect of Southern blacks and standard English. He also wrote short stories and plays. Dunbar's work often addressed the difficulties encountered by blacks and their efforts to achieve equality in America. He was the first African-American writer to achieve a national reputation and to be accepted by both black and white audiences.

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Ralph Waldo Emerson
b. 5-25-1803; Massachusetts
d. 4-27-1882

Ralph Waldo Emerson was one of the most influential literary figures of the 19th century. He was the center of the American transcendental movement, widely known for challenging traditional thought. Emerson was also a tireless crusader for peace and social justice, and supporter of educational reform.

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