Greetings once again! Presented here is a collection of fun and interesting facts about famed author Nathaniel Hawthorne.
Much is known and cataloged about Hawthorne, author of such works as The Scarlet Letter, House of the Seven Gables, The Marble Faun, and Twice-Told Tales, but perhaps these facts will surprise you! Take a look:
1. Hawthorne's father died of yellow fever while serving as ship captain in 1808.
2. Nathaniel Hawthorn changed his name from Hathorne to Hawthorn, partly due to his family's dark past.
3. Hawthorne's great grandfather severed as a judge during the Salem Witch Trials.
4. Hawthorne was an anti-transcendentalist, though several of his good friends included Henry David Thoreau, Ralph Waldo Emerson, and Ellery Channing, all popular Transcendentalists.
5. Nathaniel Hawthorne was discovered dead by Franklin Pierce, the 14th President of the United States.
6. Hawthorne's lifelong friend and classmate at Bowdoin, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, was a pallbearer at Hawthorne's funeral.
7. Hawthorne severed as a an American diplomat to England for four years.
8. In 2003 Hawthorne's youngest daughter, Rose, was nominated for sainthood.
9. Hawthorne's first novel, Fanshawe, was quite unsuccessful.
10. Hawthorne's father's name was also Nathaniel.
---
For more information on Nathaniel Hawthorne, and for a more in-depth examination of his life, follow this link to the History Channel website: http://www.history.com/news/10-things-you-may-not-know-about-nathaniel-hawthorne.
