James Parton

Born in Canterbury, England, on February 9, 1822, he moved to the United States as a child and was educated in New York. Before becoming known as a writer, he worked as a teacher, and he went on to build a successful career by writing lively, readable biographies aimed at general readers.

He became especially well known for books about major public figures, including Andrew Jackson, Aaron Burr, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, and Voltaire. His work blended research with an energetic storytelling style that made biography popular with a broad audience at a time when Americans were eager for books about national history and famous lives.

Parton died on October 17, 1891. He is also remembered for his connection to another important 19th-century writer: he was married to Sara Payson Willis, better known by her pen name Fanny Fern.