William Leggett
William Leggett (1801-1839) was an American poet, fiction writer, and journalist known for his passionate advocacy of political issues, particularly abolitionism and free trade. Born in New York City, Leggett briefly attended Georgetown College before embarking on a career in the United States Navy, which was cut short by his court-martial for insubordination and dueling. After leaving the navy, he transitioned to journalism, where he wrote for various publications, including the New York Evening Post, under the influential editor William Cullen Bryant. His writings often expressed vehement opinions on social justice, earning him both respect and controversy, including challenges to duels due to his fiery rhetoric.
Leggett's commitment to political activism was evident in his editorial work on the Plaindealer, where he championed the rights of working people and advocated for free speech for abolitionists. Despite his growing prominence, his health deteriorated in the latter part of the 1830s, and he died shortly before assuming a diplomatic appointment in Guatemala. A posthumous collection of his political writings solidified his legacy as a significant figure in American journalism and literature, showcasing the impact a writer can have through their commitment to social issues.
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William Leggett
Writer
- Born: April 30, 1801
- Birthplace: New York, New York
- Died: May 29, 1839
- Place of death: New Rochelle, New York
Biography
A native of New York City, William Leggett was the son of a Revolutionary War officer. Leggett attended Georgetown College briefly but did not graduate; after spending three years pioneering with his parents in Illinois, he became a midshipman in the United States Navy in 1822. Quick-tongued and hot- tempered, Leggett was not cut out for the naval life, and in 1825 he was court-martialed for a variety of offenses, including dueling with a fellow midshipman and peppering his captain with insults from the plays of Shakespeare. In 1826, he resigned his commission.
He published some early poems in a book titled Leisure Hours at Sea in 1825, but upon leaving the navy he turned to work as a journalist, writing for the New York Mirror and other publications. He published a second book of verse, Journals of the Ocean, in 1826; in 1828 he married Almira Waring and became the editor of the biweekly Critic and published Tales and Sketches by a Country Schoolmaster in 1829.
From 1829 to 1836, he was an editor of the New York Evening Post, a job he accepted from senior editor William Cullen Bryant with the caveat that he should not have to write on political matters. Before long, however, Leggett found he had a taste for political writings and wrote articles in favor of free trade, against slavery, and espousing abolitionism. As fiery as ever in his rhetoric, his articles saw him challenged to one duel and actually participating in another.
After battling a severe illness in the winter of 1835, he left the Evening Post the following fall and edited the Plaindealer, where he was given free rein to vent his political ideas, arguing in favor of free trade, the rights of working people, and free speech for abolitionists. During his tenure on the Plaindealer, he became fully committed to the goal of abolishing slavery. He also published Naval Stories at this time. Leggett became more and more known for his political views; at one point he almost gained a Democratic nomination for Congress, but was seen as too radical in his views. Throughout the latter half of the 1830’s, however, Leggett suffered from waning health.
In 1839, President Van Buren appointed him to a diplomatic post for Guatemala; however, he died before assuming his duties. A two-volume posthumous publication of his collected editorials, A Collection of the Political Writings of William Leggett, was published in 1840, and marks one of the first times that an American writer gained great fame by dints of journalistic work alone.