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James Nelson Barker
James Nelson Barker (June 17, 1784 – March 9, 1858) was an American soldier, playwright and politician. He rose to the rank of major in the Army during the War of 1812, wrote ten plays, and was mayor of Philadelphia. Early life Barker was born on June 17, 1784, in Philadelphia. He was the fourth sonMusser, Paul H. ''James Nelson Barker, 1784-1858; With a Reprint of His Comedy Tears and Smiles''. University of Pennsylvania P; London, H. Milford:Oxford UP, 1929 of John Barker, and Mary Nelson, who were married on July 13, 1769. His education was limited, for though he attended local schools, he spent more time reading books than studying. However, Barker's father ensured that his son was educated in gentlemanly etiquette and the ability to defend himself with a sword or pistol. Barker began writing in 1804. ''The Spanish Rover'' was a three-act play based on Cervantes. However, only one act was completed, and eventually burned. His studies were also challenged by travel. He joine ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sir Walter Scott
Sir Walter Scott, 1st Baronet (15 August 1771 – 21 September 1832), was a Scottish novelist, poet, playwright and historian. Many of his works remain classics of European and Scottish literature, notably the novels '' Ivanhoe'', '' Rob Roy'', ''Waverley'', ''Old Mortality'', '' The Heart of Mid-Lothian'' and ''The Bride of Lammermoor'', and the narrative poems '' The Lady of the Lake'' and '' Marmion''. He had a major impact on European and American literature. As an advocate, judge and legal administrator by profession, he combined writing and editing with daily work as Clerk of Session and Sheriff-Depute of Selkirkshire. He was prominent in Edinburgh's Tory establishment, active in the Highland Society, long a president of the Royal Society of Edinburgh (1820–1832), and a vice president of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland (1827–1829). His knowledge of history and literary facility equipped him to establish the historical novel genre as an exemplar of Europ ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Robert Wharton (Philadelphia)
Robert Wharton (January 12, 1757 – March 7, 1834) was the longest-serving mayor of Philadelphia. Wharton was born in Philadelphia, January 12, 1757, the son of Joseph Wharton (1707–1776), Joseph Wharton, a successful merchant. At an early age he left his studies, and was apprenticed to a hatter. He entered the counting-house of his brother Samuel Wharton, Samuel, a Philadelphia merchant, but he spent much of his time in outdoor sports, and until 1818 was president of the famous fox-hunting club of Gloucester County, New Jersey, Gloucester, New Jersey that was organized in 1766. In 1790 he became a member of the Schuylkill Fishing Company, a social club, of which he was president 1812–1828. Political career Wharton was a member of the Philadelphia City Council, Philadelphia city council from 1792 till 1795. In 1796 he was made alderman of that city, and in the same year quelled a riot among sailors who had organized themselves into a body and demanded higher wages. After readin ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Pigault-Lebrun
Charles-Antoine-Guillaume Pigault de l'Espinoy, better known as Pigault-Lebrun, (8 April 1753 – 24 July 1835) was a French novelist, playwright, and Epicureanism, Epicurean. Victor Hugo references Pigault-Lebrun in chapter I part 8 of Les Misérables, describing a senator as "probably a product of Pigault-le Brun." Life He was born at Calais; he is said to have traced his pedigree on the mother's side to Eustache de Saint Pierre. His youth was stormy. He twice carried off young ladies of some position, and was in consequence twice imprisoned by ''lettre de cachet''. The first, a Miss Crawford, the daughter of an English merchant whose office Pigault had entered, died almost immediately after her elopement (marriage), elopement; the second, Mlle de Salens, he married. He became a soldier in the Queen's Guards, then a very unsuccessful actor, and a teacher of French. At the breaking out of the great war he re-enlisted and fought at battle of Valmy, Valmy. He wrote more than twent ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Picaresque Novel
The picaresque novel (Spanish: ''picaresca'', from ''pícaro'', for " rogue" or "rascal") is a genre of prose fiction. It depicts the adventures of a roguish, but "appealing hero", usually of low social class, who lives by his wits in a corrupt society. Picaresque novels typically adopt a realistic style. There are often some elements of comedy and satire. While the term "picaresque novel" was only coined in 1810, the picaresque novel originated in Imperial Rome during the 1st-2nd century CE, in particular with works such as the Satyricon of Petronius and later, and more particularly with authors such as Apuleius in Roman Numidia. It would see a revival in Spain during the Spanish Golden Age in 1554. Early Spanish contributors included Mateo Alemán and Francisco de Quevedo, who were influenced in particular by Apuleius' 2nd century work. Other notable ancient influences of the modern picaresque genre include Roman playwrights such as Plautus and Terence. The Golden Ass of Apu ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Superstition Poster
A superstition is any belief or practice considered by non-practitioners to be irrational or supernatural, attributed to fate or magic, perceived supernatural influence, or fear of that which is unknown. It is commonly applied to beliefs and practices surrounding luck, amulets, astrology, fortune telling, spirits, and certain paranormal entities, particularly the belief that future events can be foretold by specific (apparently) unrelated prior events. Also, the word ''superstition'' is often used to refer to a religion not practiced by the majority of a given society regardless of whether the prevailing religion contains alleged superstitions or to all religions by the antireligious. Contemporary use Definitions of the term vary, but commonly describe superstitions as irrational beliefs at odds with scientific knowledge of the world. Stuart Vyse proposes that a superstition's "presumed mechanism of action is inconsistent with our understanding of the physical world", wi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Arthur Hobson Quinn
Arthur is a common male given name of Brythonic origin. Its popularity derives from it being the name of the legendary hero King Arthur. The etymology is disputed. It may derive from the Celtic ''Artos'' meaning “Bear”. Another theory, more widely believed, is that the name is derived from the Roman clan '' Artorius'' who lived in Roman Britain for centuries. A common spelling variant used in many Slavic, Romance, and Germanic languages is Artur. In Spanish and Italian it is Arturo. Etymology The earliest datable attestation of the name Arthur is in the early 9th century Welsh-Latin text ''Historia Brittonum'', where it refers to a circa 5th to 6th-century Briton general who fought against the invading Saxons, and who later gave rise to the famous King Arthur of medieval legend and literature. A possible earlier mention of the same man is to be found in the epic Welsh poem ''Y Gododdin'' by Aneirin, which some scholars assign to the late 6th century, though this is still a mat ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Mary Ann Duff
Mary Ann Duff (born Mary Ann Dyke; 1794 – 5 September 1857) was an English tragedienne, in her time regarded as the greatest upon the American stage. She was born in London, England, and died in New York City, United States. Biography Mary Ann Dyke and her younger sisters Elizabeth and Ann were all born in London. Their father was an Englishman, employed in the service of the British East India Company, and he died abroad while they were children. Their mother prepared them for the stage under James Harvey D'Egville, a ballet-master of the King's Theatre, London.Joseph Norton Ireland (1882) ''Mrs. Duff'', James R. Osgood and Co., Boston Early career The Dyke sisters made their first appearance in 1809, at a Dublin theatre and were described as "remarkable for their beauty and winning disposition." While Mary was performing in Dublin, she met Irish poet Thomas Moore who proposed to her but was rejected as Mary had already formed an attachment to the man who became her husband. M ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
John Jewitt
John Rodgers Jewitt (21 May 1783 – 7 January 1821) was an English armourer who entered the historical record with his memoirs about the 28 months he spent as a captive of Maquinna of the Nuu-chah-nulth (Nootka) people on what is now the British Columbia Coast. The ''Canadian Encyclopedia'' describes Jewitt as a shrewd observer and his ''Narrative'' as a "classic of captivity literature". The memoir, according to the ''Dictionary of Canadian Biography'', is a major source of information about the indigenous peoples of the Pacific Northwest Coast. Early life and voyage Jewitt's father was a blacksmith and trained his eldest son for that trade, intending that his younger son go into one of the learned professions. Accordingly, from the age of 12, John attended an academy at Donington in Lincolnshire that provided an "education superior to that which is to be obtained in a common school" (p. 6). He learned Latin, higher mathematics, navigation and surveying. After two years ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Chestnut Street Theatre
The Chestnut Street Theatre in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania was the first theater in the United States built by entrepreneurs solely as a venue for paying audiences.The Chestnut Street Theatre Project The New Theatre (First Chestnut Street Theatre) The Chestnut Street Theatre (originally named the New Theatre) was the brainchild of Thomas Wignell and Alexander Reinagle who in 1791 convinced a group of Philadelphia investors to build a theater suitable for Wignell's company to perform in. Wignell had not yet formed his company when the New Theatre was being set up to be built, but as the New Theater was being built, Wignell was in England recruiting actors to be a part of his company. The New Theater's design, modeled after the Theatre Royal, Bath, was made possible by John Inigo Richards, Wignell's brother-in-law, who obtained architect Thomas Greenway's original plans.Oxford Companion to American Theatre The New Theatre was built on Chestnut Street near the corner of Sixth Stre ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Wade Hampton II
Wade Hampton II (April 21, 1791 – February 10, 1858) was an American politician, plantation owner, and soldier in the War of 1812. He was a member of the Hampton family, whose influence was strong in South Carolina politics and social circles for nearly 100 years. Early life and education Hampton was born in Columbia, South Carolina, the son of General Wade Hampton I (1752–1835) and Harriet Flud. He was educated privately in his early years. Slave owner He served in the military during the War of 1812, becoming a lieutenant of dragoons in 1813. He served as acting inspector general and aide to General Andrew Jackson at New Orleans in 1815. As an adult, Hampton attended mostly to his extensive holdings, as his numerous plantations and houses in two states, overseers and managers, and thousands of slaves, all required extended management. He had several plantations in Issaquena County, Mississippi, where he held a total of 335 slaves by 1860, as well as properties in South C ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
William Eustis
William Eustis (June 10, 1753 – February 6, 1825) was an early American physician, politician, and statesman from Massachusetts. Trained in medicine, he served as a military surgeon during the American Revolutionary War, notably at the Battle of Bunker Hill. He resumed medical practice after the war, but soon entered politics. After several terms in the state legislature, Eustis won election to the United States Congress in 1800, serving as a moderate Democratic-Republican. He briefly returned to state politics after losing reelection in 1804, and was chosen to be Secretary of War in 1809 by President James Madison. Due in part to his inexperience at managing the army and a lack of preparedness, the military failures in the early months of the War of 1812 were laid on his shoulders, leading to his resignation. Madison then appointed Eustis Minister to the Netherlands, a post he held from 1814 until 1818. After another period in Congress, he was elected Governor of Ma ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
