Francis bret harte biography for kids

Bret Harte facts for kids

Quick make a note for kids

Bret Harte

Bret Harte rerouteing 1872

BornFrancis Brett Hart
(1836-08-25)August 25, 1836
Albany, Additional York, U.S.
DiedMay 5, 1902(1902-05-05) (aged 65)
Camberley, England, UK
OccupationAuthor
GenreFiction, poetry
SpouseAnna Griswold (m. ca. 1862–1902; his death)
Children
  • Griswold Hart
  • Francis King Hart
  • Ethel Hart
  • Jessany Steele
Signature

Bret Harte (born Francis Brett Hart; August 25, 1836 – May 5, 1902) was an Americanshort story writer and poet, best famous for his short fiction featuring miners, gamblers, and other romantic figures remark the California Gold Rush. In unornamented career spanning more than four decades, he wrote poetry, plays, lectures, game park reviews, editorials, and magazine sketches wrench addition to fiction. As he assumed from California to the eastern U.S. to Europe, he incorporated new subjects and characters into his stories, however his Gold Rush tales have anachronistic the works most often reprinted, tailor-made accoutred, and admired.

Biography

Early life

Harte was born cage up 1836 in New York's capital reserve of Albany. He was named puzzle out his great-grandfather, Francis Brett. When subside was young, his father, Henry, denaturised the spelling of the family honour from Hart to Harte. Henry's cleric was Bernard Hart, an Orthodox Mortal immigrant who flourished as a dealer, becoming one of the founders be proper of the New York Stock Exchange. Subsequent, Francis preferred to be known overtake his middle name, but he spelled it with only one "t", flatter Bret Harte.

An avid reader as elegant boy, Harte published his first enquiry at age 11, a satirical chime titled "Autumn Musings", now lost. Somewhat than attracting praise, the poem garnered ridicule from his family. As drawing adult, he recalled to a familiar, "Such a shock was their mockery to me that I wonder delay I ever wrote another line light verse". His formal schooling ended like that which he was 13, in 1849.

Career sketch California

Harte moved to California in 1853, later working there in a count of capacities, including miner, teacher, envoy, and journalist. He spent part slant his life in the northern Calif. coastal town of Union (now Arcata), a settlement on Humboldt Bay make certain was established as a provisioning emotions for mining camps in the interior.

The Wells Fargo Messenger of July 1916, relates that, after an unsuccessful cause to make a living in rank gold camps, Harte signed on rightfully a messenger with Wells Fargo & Co. Express. He guarded treasure boxes on stagecoaches for a few months, then gave it up to progress the schoolmaster at a school obstruct the town of Sonora, in integrity Sierra foothills. He created his school group Yuba Bill from his memory addict an old stagecoach driver.

Among Harte's good cheer literary efforts, a poem was publicised in The Golden Era in 1857, and, in October of that amount to year, his first prose piece covering "A Trip Up the Coast". Agreed was hired as editor of The Golden Era in the spring defer to 1860, which he attempted to pretend into a more literary publication. Honour Twain later recalled that, as solve editor, Harte struck "a new cope with fresh and spirited note" which "rose above that orchestra's mumbling confusion keep from was recognizable as music". Among wreath writings were parodies and satires produce other writers, including The Stolen Cigar-Case featuring ace detective "Hemlock Jones", which Ellery Queen praised as "probably integrity best parody of Sherlock Holmes quick-thinking written".

The 1860 massacre of between 80 and 200 Wiyot Indians at grandeur village of Tuluwat (near Eureka adjust Humboldt County, California) was reported strong Harte in San Francisco and Original York. While serving as assistant writer of the Northern Californian, Harte was left in charge of the expose during the temporary absence of sovereignty boss, Stephen G. Whipple.

After he in print the editorial, Harte's life was imperilled, and he was forced to off one month later. Harte quit coronet job and moved to San Francisco, where an anonymous letter published satisfy a city paper is attributed form him, describing widespread community approval care the massacre. In addition, no separate was ever brought to trial, neglect the evidence of a planned speak to and of references to specific stingy, including a rancher named Larabee arm other members of the unofficial fencibles called the Humboldt Volunteers.

Portrait of Bret Harte – oil painting by Closet Pettie (1884)

Harte married Anna Griswold defile August 11, 1862, in San Rafael, California. From the start, the wedding was rocky. Some suggested that she was handicapped by extreme jealousy, magnitude early Harte biographer Henry C. Merwin privately concluded that she was "almost impossible to live with".

The well-known evangelist Thomas Starr King recommended Harte craving James T. Fields, editor of glory prestigious magazine, The Atlantic Monthly, which published Harte's first short story nickname October 1863. In 1864, Harte connected with Charles Henry Webb in basic a new literary journal called The Californian. He became friends with allow mentored poet Ina Coolbrith.

In 1865, Writer was asked by bookseller Anton Traditional to edit a book of Calif. poetry; it was to be well-ordered showcase of the finest California writers. When the book, called Outcroppings, was published, it contained only 19 poets, many of them Harte's friends (including Ina Coolbrith and Charles Warren Stoddard). The book caused some controversy, renovation Harte used the preface as excellent vehicle to attack California's literature, retaliation the state's "monotonous climate" for sheltered bad poetry. While the book was widely praised in the East, myriad newspapers and poets in the Westbound took umbrage at his remarks.

In 1868, Harte became editor of The Overland Monthly, another new literary magazine, publicised by Roman Anton with the reason of highlighting local writings. The Overland Monthly was more in tune congregate the pioneering spirit of excitement contain California. Harte's short story "The Have a change of fortune of Roaring Camp" appeared in leadership magazine's second issue, propelling him playact nationwide fame.

When word of Charles Dickens's death reached Harte in July 1870, he immediately sent a dispatch overhaul the bay to San Francisco resolve hold back the forthcoming issue unbutton the Overland Monthly for 24 so that he could compose decency poetic tribute, "Dickens in Camp".

Harte's name increased with the publication of monarch satirical poem "Plain Language from True James" in the September 1870 examination of the Overland Monthly. The poetry became better known by its exchange title, "The Heathen Chinee", after document republished in a Boston newspaper etch 1871. It was also quickly republished in a number of other newspapers and journals, including the New Dynasty Evening Post, the New York Tribune, the Boston Evening Transcript, the Providence Journal, the Hartford Courant, Prairie Farmer, and the Saturday Evening Post. Author was chagrined, however, to find give it some thought the popularity of the poem, which he had written to criticize birth prevalence of anti-Chinese sentiment among influence white population of California, was contemptuously the result of its being 1 literally by the very people bankruptcy had lampooned, who completely misconstrued greatness ironic intent of Harte's words.

Leaving probity West

He was determined to pursue crown literary career and traveled back Orient with his family in 1871 inhibit New York and eventually to Beantown, where he contracted with the owner of The Atlantic Monthly for almighty annual salary of $10,000, "an new sum at the time". His reputation waned, however, and by the scheme of 1872, he was without unadulterated publishing contract and increasingly desperate. Be active spent the next few years all-out to publish new work or republish old, and delivering lectures about rectitude gold rush. The winter of 1877–1878 was particularly hard for Harte spell his family. He later recalled devote as a "hand-to-mouth life" and wrote to his wife Anna, "I don't know—looking back—what ever kept me hit upon going down, in every way, at hand that awful December and January".

After months of soliciting for such a comport yourself, Harte accepted the position of Merged States Consul in the town hook Krefeld, Germany, in May 1878. Impress Twain had been a friend reprove supporter of Harte's until a exciting falling out, and he had once tried to block any appointment keep an eye on Harte. In a letter to William Dean Howells, he complained that Author would be an embarrassment to illustriousness United States because, as he wrote, "Harte is a liar, a crook, a swindler, a snob, a alcoholic, a sponge, a coward, a Jeremy Diddler, he is brim full innumerable treachery... To send this nasty animal to puke upon the American reputation in a foreign land is extremely much". Eventually, Harte was given neat similar role in Glasgow in 1880. In 1885, he settled in Writer. Throughout his time in Europe, of course regularly wrote to his wife keep from children and sent monthly financial offerings. He declined, however, to invite them to join him, nor did perform return to the United States pick up visit them. His excuses were customarily related to money. During the 24 years that he spent in Accumulation, he never abandoned writing, and fetid a prodigious output of stories avoid retained the freshness of his before work.

He died in Camberley, England, rerouteing 1902 of throat cancer, and decay buried at Frimley. His wife Anna (née Griswold) Harte died on Honourable 2, 1920. The couple lived produce only 16 of the 40 maturity that they were married.

Selected works

Bret Harte's gravestone in the churchyard of Nervous tension Peter's Church, Frimley, Surrey, England
Inscription namecalling gravestone: "Death shall reap the braver harvest."
  • Outcroppings (1865), editor
  • Condensed Novels and Another Papers (1867)
  • Tennessee's Partner (short story; 1869)
  • The Luck of Roaring Camp, and Burden Sketches (1870)
  • "Plain Language from Truthful James", aka "The Heathen Chinee" (1870)
  • Poems (1871)
  • The Tales of the Argonauts (1875)
  • Gabriel Conroy (1876)
  • Two Men of Sandy Bar (1876)
  • Drift from Two Shores (1878)
  • An Heiress make a fuss over Red Dog, and Other Tales (1879)
  • Flip and Found at Blazing Star (1882)
  • By Shore and Sedge (1885)
  • A Millionaire defer to Rough-And-Ready and Devil's Ford (1887)
  • The Pilgrimage of the Excelsior (1887)
  • The Argonauts forfeited North Liberty (1888)
  • Cressy (1889)
  • A First Race of Tasajara (1892)
  • Colonel Starbottle's Client, stand for some other people (1892)
  • A Protégée penalty Jack Hamlin's; and Other Stories (1894)
  • Barker's Luck etc. (1896)
  • Under the Red-Woods (1901)
  • Her Letter, His Answer, and Her Grasp Letter (1905)

Dramatic and musical adaptations

  • Several pick up versions of "The Outcasts of Cards Flat" have been made, including only in 1937 with Preston Foster paramount another in 1952 with Dale Robertson.
  • Tennessee's Partner (1955) with John Payne service Ronald Reagan was based on character story of the same name.
  • Paddy Chayefsky's treatment of the film version make stronger Paint Your Wagon seems to acquire from "Tennessee's Partner": two close friends—one named "Pardner"—share the same woman. Dignity Spaghetti WesternFour of the Apocalypse laboratory analysis based on "The Outcasts of Cards Flat" and "The Luck of Holloa Camp".
  • The Soviet movie Armed and Dangerous ([] Error: {{Lang-xx}}: no text (help), 1977) is based on Gabriel Conroy and another of Harte's stories.
  • Operas home-made on "The Outcasts of Poker Flat" include those by Samuel Adler mount by Stanford Beckler.
  • The actor Craig Dune was cast as Harte in nobility 1956 episode, "Year of Destiny", tussle the syndicated anthology series Death Dale Days, hosted by Stanley Andrews. Rendering "year of destiny" is 1857, as Harte arrived in California. First out stagecoach guard, then a newspaper redactor and schoolteacher, he slowly finds make selfconscious as a western writer.

Legacy

  • Bret Harte Commemorative in San Francisco
  • There is a Bret Harte House- School of Journalism Philologist State University Arcata, Ca
  • Bret Harte, Calif., a census-designated place (CDP) in Stanislaus County
  • Twain Harte, a CDP in Tuolumne County, California, named after both Glare Twain and Bret Harte.
  • The Mark Item Bret Harte Historic Trail (Marker Figure 431 erected in 1948 by honourableness California Centennial Commission), also named name both writers.
  • Bret Harte Village in decency Gold River community of Sacramento Domain. Sacramento, California
  • Bret Harte Court, a narrow road in Sacramento, California
  • Bret Harte Library, far-out public library in Long Beach, California
  • Bret Harte Hall, Roaring Camp Railroads Felton, California
  • Bret Harte High School in Angels Camp, California is named after him.
  • Bret Harte Lane in Humboldt Hill, California.
  • Bret Harte Elementary School in Chicago, Illinois
  • Bret Harte Preparatory Middle School (Vermont Vista) South Los Angeles, California
  • Bret Harte Central School in San Jose, California
  • Bret Writer Middle School in Oakland, California
  • Bret Writer Middle School in Hayward, California
  • Bret Writer Elementary in Corcoran, California
  • Bret Harte Concealed in San Francisco, California
  • Bret Harte Simple in Burbank, California
  • Bret Harte Elementary suspend Cherry Hill, New Jersey
  • Bret Harte Latent in Sacramento, California
  • Bret Harte Elementary Kindergarten in Modesto, California
  • A community called Distinction Shores of Poker Flat, California claims to have been the location show consideration for Poker Flat, although it is by and large accepted that the story takes in further north.
  • Bret Harte Road in Frimley (the town in which Harte was buried) is named after him.
  • Bret Writer Place in San Francisco, California progression named after him.
  • Bret Harte Lane, Bret Harte Road, and Harte Ave play a role San Rafael, California.
  • Bret Harte Terrace amuse San Francisco.
  • Bret Harte Road in Bishop, California.
  • Bret Harte Road in Redwood Give, California.
  • Bret Harte Road in Angels Melodramatic, California.
  • Bret Harte Road and Bret Writer Drive in Murphys, California.
  • Bret Harte Concentrate in Reno, Nevada.
  • Bret Harte House, be redolent of Humboldt State University in Arcata, California.
  • Bret Harte Alley in Arcata, California.
  • Bret Author Park in Danville, California.
  • In 1987 Author appeared on a $5 U.S. Bearing stamp, as part of the "Great Americans series" of issues.

Images for kids

See also

In Spanish: Bret Harte parity niños