John Burroughs (b. April 3, 1837; d. March 29, 1921) was a famous American nature writer and poet who, like his literary counterpart, Walt Whitman, found DC during the Civil War. He immediately fell in love with the city. “There is perhaps not another city in the Union that has on its very threshold so much natural beauty and grandeur,” he said. He was…more»
Frederick Douglass (b. February 1818; d. February 20, 1895) was born into slavery, the son of an enslaved woman and a white man. He lived on a plantation on Maryland’s Eastern Shore until age 8, when he was sent to Baltimore to live and work for relatives of his slave master. He remained there for seven years. After first arriving, his mistress taught him…more»
Joaquin Miller (b. September 8, 1837; d. February 17, 1913) is best known as the author of the poem Columbus . Of that accomplishment, historians are sure. Miller had, however, what seemed a fantastical life and was apparently a fantastic liar. He claimed many occupations (lawyer, cook, writer) and experiences (riding the Pony Express and fighting alongside Native Americans in California), all of which…more»
Walt Whitman (b. May 31, 1819; d. March 26, 1892) is one of the most famous and revered writers in American history. Like many artists, his work was not widely appreciated during his lifetime. He made a living as a teacher, editor, reporter and printer. Now, his Leaves of Grass , a self-printed volume of poems about the American frontier, is viewed as one…more»