Jacob Abbott
Jacob Abbott (1803-1879) was an influential American author and educator known for his significant contributions to children's literature. Born in Hallowell, Maine, he received his education from Hallowell Academy and Bowdoin College, where he began to distinguish his surname by adding an extra “t.” After graduating, Abbott taught at various educational institutions, including Portland Academy and Amherst College, and briefly served as a minister.
In addition to his teaching, Abbott was a prolific writer, creating over 180 books throughout his lifetime. His works, such as "The Young Christian" and "The Little Scholar Learning to Talk," combined engaging narratives with educational content, making them popular among young readers. Abbott's understanding of children's needs and interests helped shape the evolution of juvenile literature in the 19th century. He founded several schools, including the Mount Vernon School for Young Ladies and Abbott's Institution, further highlighting his commitment to education. Jacob Abbott's legacy continues to influence children's literature today, marking him as one of America's first professional authors in the genre.
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Jacob Abbott
Writer
- Born: November 14, 1803
- Birthplace: Hallowell, Maine
- Died: October 31, 1879
- Place of death: Farmington, Maine
Biography
Jacob Abbott was born on November 14, 1803, in Hallowell, Maine. He was the second child of Jacob Abbot II, a merchant and local leader, who had married his second cousin, Betsey Chandler. The Abbots were devout Puritans and loving parents. All five of the Abbot boys attended Hallowell Academy and then Bowdoin College. While he was at Bowdoin, Jacob decided to add a second “t” to his last name so as to distinguish him from other Abbots. His younger brothers followed suit, but one of them, Gorham, later changed back to the original spelling.
Jacob Abbott received an A.B. from Bowdoin in 1820, when he was seventeen. After teaching for a year at Portland Academy, in 1821, he entered Andover Theological Seminary. From 1822 to 1823, he taught in Beverly, Massachusetts, then returned to finish at Andover, graduating in 1824. Bowdoin had granted him an A.M. in 1823.
In 1824, Abbott was appointed tutor in mathematics at the new Amherst College. The following year, he was made a professor of mathematics and natural philosophy. Although Abbott was licensed to preach in 1826, he served as a full-time minister for only one year, from 1834 to 1835, when he was in charge of the Eliot Congregational Church in Roxbury, Massachusetts.
Abbott was married twice. In 1828, he married Harriet Vaughan of Hallowell. They had six children. Ten years after her death, he married Mrs. Mary Dana Woodbery.
In 1828, Abbott moved to Boston, where with his brother John he founded the Mount Vernon School for Young Ladies. While serving as principal of the school, Abbott wrote The Young Christian (1832), which became a bestseller. He followed it with another book in the same series, The Corner-Stone: Or, A Familiar Illustration of the Principles of Christian Truth (1834). At the suggestion of a Boston publisher, Abbott now wrote a book for children, The Little Scholar Learning to Talk: A Picture Book for Rollo (1835), which combined realistic stories of childhood adventures with instruction in subjects ranging from ethics to science and geography. Its success prompted Abbott to leave the ministry and move his family to Farmington, Maine, where for the next seven years he devoted all of his time to writing.
After his first wife’s death, Abbott moved to New York City, where with two of his brothers he founded and ran Abbott’s Institution, a successful girl’s school, and he also ran the Mount Vernon School for Boys for three years. However, he continued to turn out one popular series after another. In 1866, Abbott returned to Farmington, where he died on October 31, 1879.
Jacob Abbott was not only one of America’s first professional authors but also one of her most successful. Among the 180 books he produced were many of the most popular juvenile publications of the period. It was his profound understanding of the young which led to Jacob Abbott’s phenomenal success; by writing realistic stories about characters with whom young readers could identify, Jacob Abbott did much to change the direction of children’s literature.