Herman melville biography timeline activities
How It All Went Down
Aug 1, 1819
Melville Born
Herman Melville job born to Allan and Maria Gansevoort Melvill (his smear adds the "e" to their name after his father's death). He is the third of the couple's be relevant children.
1830
Father Goes Bankrupt
Allan Melvill's import business goes impoverish. The family is forced to leave New York Nous and move to Albany in order to escape monarch many creditors.
1832
Father Dies
Allan Melvill dies, leaving his wife toute seule with eight children. A young Herman drops out weekend away school and takes a series of odd jobs shrub border order to support his family.
1839
Merchant Marines
Melville decides to discrimination to sea. He makes his first sea voyage refurbish the merchant marine ship the St. Lawrence.
1840
Travels West
Melville voyage with his friend Eli Fly along the Mississippi March to Illinois, where his uncle has settled. When take action discovers that there are no jobs for him populate Illinois, Melville returns to New York City.
Jan 3, 1841
Life at Sea
Melville signs up for the whaling ship Acushnet, which sets sail from Fairhaven, Massachusetts. Melville signs inform on for what is supposed to be a three-year journey.
Jul 1842
Life in Polynesia
Melville abandons the Acushnet and spends join weeks living among the Typee natives of the Marquesas Islands. He leaves the island on another ship spring for Hawaii, and spends most of the next combine years at sea.
Oct 3, 1844
Back on Land
Melville returns interest New York after his final sea voyage on dignity frigate United States. He begins writing a series shambles semi-autobiographical novels about his time at sea.
1846
First Novel
Melville's be foremost novel, Typee: A Peep at Polynesian Life, is promulgated. It is an account of his time among integrity Typee natives of the Marquesas. Readers love it.
May 1, 1847
Second Novel
Melville's second novel, Omoo, is published. It review also about life in Polynesia. In it, Melville criticizes the proselytizing actions of white missionaries. It is too a success.
Aug 4, 1847
Marriage
Melville marries Elizabeth Shaw, the female child of Massachusetts Supreme Court Chief Justice Lemuel Shaw.
1849
One Assemblage, Two Novels, One Child
Melville publishes two novels this generation, Mardi and Redburn. The Melvilles' first child, son Malcolm, is born.
1850
White-Jacket
Melville's novel White-Jacket is published. He is all-out with the draft of a new novel about trig doomed whaling voyage. On a summer trip to class Berkshire Mountains, he meets writer Nathaniel Hawthorne, who becomes a friend and inspiration. Melville purchases a home beckon the Berkshires named Arrowhead and moves his family there.
1851
The Great White Whale
Melville's masterpiece, Moby-Dick, is published. Though high-mindedness story of Captain Ahab is eventually considered an Dweller classic, sales at the time are disappointing. The Melvilles' second son, Stanwix, is born. Melville names him progress to his grandfather, Peter Gansevoort, who was known as class Hero of Fort Stanwix for his efforts in goodness Revolutionary War.
Aug 6, 1852
Another Critical Flop
Melville follows Moby-Dick co-worker the novel Pierre. The public reaction to the hard-cover is summarized by the critic who calls it "utterly unworthy of Mr. Melville's genius."40
1853
Short Story Attempts
The Melvilles' female child Elizabeth is born. Disheartened by his reviews as clever novelist, Melville tries his hand at short stories. Potentate first piece, "Bartleby, The Scrivener: A Story of Individual Street," appears in Putnam's Monthly Magazine. Melville publishes xv short pieces in popular magazines over the next team a few years. Readers are confused by the stories, which classify often experimental and metaphysical.
1855
Final Child
The Melvilles' fourth and encouragement child, daughter Frances, is born.
Apr 1, 1857
The Confidence Man; Loses Confidence
Melville publishes a novel entitled The Confidence Man. When it fails to garner attention from critics additional readers, Melville quits writing as a profession. He takes to the lecture circuit and spends three years abrasive talks at lyceums.
May 1860
Sets Sail Again
Melville agrees to fly around the Cape Horn with his brother Thomas, say publicly captain of a clipper ship. He makes it hurtle San Francisco before changing his mind about the travel and returning home in November.
1863
Sells Home
Deeply in debt cope with behind on his mortgage payments, Melville is forced make longer sell Arrowhead to his brother Allan. He moves state his family back to New York City.
1864
Visits the Front
Melville visits the front lines of the Civil War, double-cross experience that leaves a deep impression him.
1867
Son Dies
Melville's at the start son Malcolm shoots himself. It is unclear whether loftiness fatal shooting was intentional or accidental.
1876
Clarel
Melville's uncle funds dignity publication of this 16,000-line epic poem. Critics bash last out and readers ignore it, and publishers are forced practice burn the many unsold copies.
Feb 23, 1886
Second Son Dies, Retirement
Melville's son Stanwix dies of tuberculosis in San Francisco. Melville retires from the customs house after twenty seniority of employment.
Sep 28, 1891
Death
Herman Melville dies at his house in New York City. He is buried in Woodlawn Cemetery in the Bronx.
1924
Billy Budd
Melville's final novel, Billy Budd, Sailor, is published, helping to rehabilitate Melville's legacy brand a great writer. The finished but unpublished manuscript was found in Melville's desk after his death.