Washington Irving
1783–1859 · American writer of The Legend of Sleepy Hollow and Rip Van Winkle, one of the first American authors famous in Europe.
Washington Irving was born in New York City in 1783, one of eleven children, and his mother named him after George Washington. As a young man he contributed humorous essays to newspapers. In 1809 he published A History of New York under the made-up name of Diedrich Knickerbocker, a comic history of the city's Dutch settlers; the name Knickerbocker later became a nickname for New Yorkers. In 1815 he moved to England for the family business. The Sketch Book of Geoffrey Crayon (1819–1820) included 'Rip Van Winkle', about a man who sleeps through the American Revolution, and 'The Legend of Sleepy Hollow', about the schoolmaster Ichabod Crane and the Headless Horseman. It made him one of the first American writers to win fame in Europe. He lived for some years in Spain, writing about Christopher Columbus and the Alhambra in Granada, and later served as the U.S. minister to Spain. He also wrote a life of George Washington. He died at his home, Sunnyside, in Tarrytown, New York, in 1859.
Washington Irving is also an author in the library: author page and works.
Faith: Faith not well documented. Source: Wikipedia
Key dates
- 1783 Born in New York City
- 1809 A History of New York published
- 1815 Moves to England
- 1819 The Sketch Book begins publication
- 1842 Appointed U.S. minister to Spain
- 1859 Dies at Sunnyside, Tarrytown
See where they lived
Official museums and historic homes we don’t run. Follow each site’s link for learning resources and current visiting information.
Sunnyside in Irvington, New York was Washington Irving’s adult riverside home. Historic Hudson Valley’s educators lead tours of the cottage and its grounds.
Fun facts
- He gave New York City the nickname 'Gotham' in 1807, and he is credited with inventing the phrase 'the almighty dollar'. (Source: Washington Irving (Wikipedia))
- The name Knickerbocker, from his comic history of New York, became a nickname for Manhattan residents and was adopted by the New York Knickerbockers basketball team. (Source: Washington Irving (Wikipedia))
- Before his comic History of New-York came out, he started a hoax by placing 'missing person' newspaper ads looking for its supposed author, Diedrich Knickerbocker, a crusty Dutch historian. (Source: Washington Irving (Wikipedia))
Record-breaker
Firsts and records, worded as the sources give them ("first known", "at the time").
- He was one of the first American writers to win praise in Europe. (Source: Washington Irving (Wikipedia))
Read about them
Grades 6–8
- The Sketch Book of Geoffrey Crayon, Gent. · In the library
More lives
Edwin A. Abbott · Jane Addams · Louisa May Alcott · Hans Christian Andersen · Jane Austen · Honoré de Balzac