About this Author
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Washington Irving
- Bio: Washington Irving was born on April 3, 1783. His parents were Scottish-English immigrants. His family lived in Manhattan, New York City. His mother named him after the hero of the American Revolution, George Washington, whom he would later meet at age six. Irving was the youngest of 11 children, and brothers were very supportive of him--they would help him pay his expenses in his writing career. After studying law, Irving joined the military in 1814 and was sent to Europe. Upon coming back to New York in 1842, he was appointed minister to Spain. One of the works that made him very famous was "Rip Van Winkle." He encouraged writers such as Edgar Allan Poe and was admired by some European writers like Charles Dickens.
