The American author Washington Irving was born to a wealthy New York City family. This circumstance allowed him to lead a prodigal existence for much of his life. At age sixteen, Irving began to study law. However, he soon disdained the college education that many young men of his social position chose. Rather, he preferred to travel and to write. Thanks to his family’s fortune, he was able to devote himself to both these passions.
Washington Irving had a quick mind and a lively wit, and he was determined to apply his intelligence to becoming a writer. Using the pen name Jonathan Oldstyle, he wrote humorous essays. Later, he and his brother William began to publish their own magazine, called Salmagundi. (The name refers to a spicy dish.) This short-lived periodical featured facetious essays poking fun at New York society.
Irving first toured Europe between 1804 and 1806. He returned to Europe in 1815 and lived there until 1832. Two of his most famous and beloved stories, “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” and “Rip Van Winkle,” were written during this period. They appeared in his short story collection The Sketch Book, published in 1820. Irving found ample ideas for his writing in the European customs, legends, and folktales that charmed him.
Because Irving spent so many years abroad, some critics questioned his devotion to America. The best way he knew to serve his country, he asserted, was with the strength of his pen. Washington Irving has been called “the first American man of letters.” How remarkable that some of his most enduring tales, so distinctly American in tone, were penned abroad!