author
John Stilwell Jenkins
A prolific 19th-century American writer, lawyer, and newspaper editor, he turned current events and public lives into brisk, readable history. His books range from political biography to war reporting, offering a lively window into the concerns of his era.
1 Audiobook
The generals of the last war with Great Britain
by John Stilwell Jenkins
About the author
Born in Albany, New York, on February 15, 1818, John Stilwell Jenkins built a varied career as a lawyer, journalist, and author. He was admitted to the New York bar while still young, but he also worked in newspaper publishing and editing, including with papers in central New York.
Jenkins wrote across several popular nonfiction forms of his day. His books include biographies of major American political figures such as Andrew Jackson, John C. Calhoun, and James K. Polk, as well as History of the War Between the United States and Mexico and Heroines of History. He also published The New Clerk’s Assistant, a practical legal handbook that was reprinted many times.
He died in Weedsport, New York, on September 20, 1852, at only 34 years old. Even in that short life, he left behind a substantial body of work that shows how closely 19th-century American writing could connect politics, journalism, and popular history.