Daniel P. (Daniel Parish) Kidder

Born in 1815, he was an American Methodist Episcopal minister, writer, and theologian whose career joined preaching, teaching, and travel. He spent several years in Brazil as a missionary, and that experience shaped some of his best-known writing.

His books on Brazil introduced many English-speaking readers to the country's society, religion, and daily life. Later, he also served in academic and church-related roles, building a reputation as a thoughtful religious author and educator.

He died in 1891. Today, he is remembered both for his Methodist scholarship and for the lively travel writing that carried his observations far beyond his own time.