Nathaniel Evans
Nathaniel Evans was an early American poet, born in 1742 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He was part of the inaugural graduating class of Benjamin Franklin's Academy of Philadelphia, alongside notable contemporaries like playwright Thomas Godfrey and poet Francis Hopkinson. Evans collaborated with his peers to form a literary group known as the Swains of the Schuylkill, supported by Reverend William Smith, a significant figure in his educational journey. After his apprenticeship in commerce, he returned to academia, earning a Master's degree in 1765. That same year, he published his first major work, *Juvenile Poems on Various Subjects*, which included a tribute to his late friend Godfrey. Following his ordination as an Anglican minister in London, Evans returned to America for missionary work in New Jersey. He spent his later years writing poetry influenced by prominent English poets and corresponding with Elizabeth Graeme. Evans passed away in 1767 from tuberculosis, leaving behind a collection of his work published posthumously in 1772, which reflected his ambition to create a colonial poetic tradition.
On this Page
Subject Terms
Nathaniel Evans
Poet
- Born: June 8, 1742
- Birthplace: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Died: October 29, 1767
- Place of death: Gloucester County, New Jersey
Biography
Nathaniel Evans, one of the earliest American poets, was born in 1742 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He was a member of the first graduating class at Benjamin Franklin’s Academy of Philadelphia, along with the playwright Thomas Godfrey, the poet Francis Hopkinson, and the essayist Jacob Duché, who teamed with Evans to create a minor literary group called Swains of the Schuylkill. The group was supported by the school’s provost, the Reverend William Smith, who would serve as a key influence in Evans’s life. The academy also gave Evans the practical education his father sought for him before Evans followed the family tradition by being apprenticed to a merchant.
Evans would later return to the academy, which changed its name to the Academy and College of Philadelphia and eventually to the University of Pennsylvania. He would earn a M.A. in 1765. That same year, Evans published his first major work, Juvenile Poems on Various Subjects: With the “Prince of Parthia,” a Tragedy, a tribute to his friend Godfrey, who had died two years earlier. Evans traveled to London and became ordained as an Anglican minister like his mentor William Smith. Evans moved back to America to do missionary work in New Jersey and spent the latter part of his life corresponding with Elizabeth Graeme and writing poetry in the style of the great English poets. He died in 1767 of tuberculosis; unfortunately, he died before realizing his goal of establishing a colonial poetic tradition. However, the limited fruits of his work were collected and published by William Smith in 1772 under the title Poems on Several Occasions.