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Mark twain. 1835-1910. Background. Samuel Langhorne Clemens Born in Florida, Missouri then at age 4 moved to Hannibal, Missouri Father dies when Samuel is 12 Printer’s apprentice, riverboat captain
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Mark twain 1835-1910
Background • Samuel Langhorne Clemens • Born in Florida, Missouri then at age 4 moved to Hannibal, Missouri • Father dies when Samuel is 12 • Printer’s apprentice, riverboat captain • Wrote under penname Thomas Jefferson Snodgrass until 1863 (adopted Mark Twain Feb. 3, 1863—two fathoms deep)
Background (continued) • Wrote for Atlantic Monthly • Short stint in Civil War: “I knew more about retreating than the man that invented retreating” • Traveled with brother Orion to Nevada Territory • 1865 published “Jim Smiley and His Jumping Frog” which earned him international attention
Family • Married Olivia Langdon 1870 • Four children (3 of whom died prior to him) • Settled in Hartford, CT • Bankrupt in 1893 • His oldest daughter, Susy’s, death in 1898 and his wife’s in 1904 were turning points
works • The Gilded Age • The Adventures of Tom Sawyer • The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (his masterpiece although banned many times)
other • America’s Greatest Humorist • Known for wearing white • Honorary degrees from Oxford and Yale
quotes • It is better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to open one’s mouth an remove all doubt • I’ve never let my school interfere with my education