Washington Irving was an American author, essayist, and biographer best known for his short stories and historical works. He achieved widespread fame with The Legend of Sleepy Hollow and Rip Van Winkle, both published in The Sketch Book of Geoffrey Crayon, Gent. (1819–1820).
His contributions include comprehensive biographies of George Washington and Oliver Goldsmith and detailed histories of 15th-century Spain, covering topics such as Christopher Columbus and the Moors.
Irving was born in Manhattan, New York, into a family of merchants. He began his literary career at nineteen, writing for local newspapers under the pseudonym "Jonathan Oldstyle". In 1809, under the name "Diedrich Knickerbocker", he published A History of New York, which satirised the politics and culture of the city and earned him early recognition and popularity.
During his time in Europe, Irving broadened his literary horizons. His travels and experiences there influenced The Sketch Book of Geoffrey Crayon, Gent, a collection of essays and short stories that made him an international literary figure. This work, published in instalments between 1819 and 1820, included Rip Van Winkle and The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, considered iconic pieces of American folklore. These stories were among the first American works to gain popularity in Europe, establishing Irving as one of the first American writers to succeed abroad.
In the 1820s, Irving shifted his focus to historical writing. His fascination with Spain led to several notable works, including A History of the Life and Voyages of Christopher Columbus (1828) and Chronicle of the Conquest of Granada (1829). As a result of his deep connection with Spanish culture and history, he was appointed as U.S. Minister to Spain by President John Tyler from 1842 to 1846.
Irving's commitment to literature also extended to the defence of authors' rights. He was a vocal supporter of stronger copyright laws to protect writers from unauthorised reproduction of their work. Throughout his career, he was a pioneer in establishing writing as an established and respected profession.
Towards the end of his life, Irving returned to the United States and settled at Sunnyside, his estate in Tarrytown, New York. He continued to write, concentrating on his multi-volume biography of George Washington, which he completed shortly before he died in 1859.
