Historical Profile: Nathaniel Hawthorne

SALEM, Ma. - Nathaniel Hawthorne (July 4, 1804 – May 19, 1864) was born in Salem, Massachusetts.  In 1825, Hawthorne graduated from Bowdoin College.  While at Bowdoin, he was classmates with future U.S. President Franklin Pierce, poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, and future U.S. Congressman Jonathan Cilley.  Hawthorne was a writer and diplomat.  His literary works included: novels, short stories, and a biography of Franklin Pierce called The Life of Franklin Pierce.

Hawthorne’s most notable published novels include: The Scarlett Letter (1850), The House of the Seven Gables (1851), and The Blithedale Romance (1852).  The Scarlett Letter was one of the first mass-produced books in the United States.  The novel also became a best seller in the U.S.  From 1853 to 1857, Hawthorne served as United States consul in Liverpool, England during the Pierce administration.

American sculptor Bela Lyon Pratt created a statue of Nathaniel Hawthorne located in Salem, Massachusetts.



Nathaniel Hawthorne monument - Salem, MA (Photo credit - Rob Riordan)

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