author
Daniel P. (Daniel Parish) Kidder
1815–1891
A Methodist minister, editor, and traveler, he brought 19th-century Brazil vividly to life for American readers. His books mix missionary experience, sharp observation, and a strong interest in religion and society.
1 Audiobook
The Five Giants
by Daniel P. (Daniel Parish) Kidder
About the author
Born in New York on October 18, 1815, Daniel Parish Kidder became a minister in the Methodist Episcopal Church after graduating from Wesleyan University in 1836. Soon afterward he went to Brazil as a missionary, an experience that shaped some of his best-known writing.
Kidder spent several years in Brazil and later turned those experiences into Sketches of Residence and Travel in Brazil, a work remembered for its lively descriptions of the country, its people, and everyday life. Back in the United States, he also served the church as an editor and writer, producing books on religion, travel, and public issues.
He died on July 29, 1891. Today he is chiefly remembered as a Methodist theologian and author whose travel writing offers a valuable American view of Brazil in the 1800s.