Mark+Twain

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 * Soap and education are not as sudden as a massacre, but they are more deadly in the long run.**
 * **//The Facts Concerning the Recent Resignation// (1867).**

**“A baby is an inestimable blessing and bother.: (Letter to Annie Webster, September 1st, 1876)**

Samuel Clemens, who is more commonly known Mark Twain was born in Florida, Missouri on November 30th, 1835. Mark Twain had seven siblings and was the sixth youngest. Unfortunately only three of his siblings survived to adulthood (his brother Orion, Henry and Pamela). Sam’s life wasn’t always easy and his massive family moved to Hannibal, Missouri at the age of 4. Samuel became extremely familiar with slavery at a young age and began to resent it. There is a popular legend that he was peacefully oblivious to slavery. However, at the age of 11 he went on a walk to the docks one day. He wound up seeing a bunch of saves leaving a slave boat and saw how they were treated. At that age Samuel soon began to hate the brutality that was inflicted on black people. Slavery soon became a major theme in many of his books.

Samuel’s father died when the young boy was only 11. Sam did not have to be the main contributor to the family because of his young age. He did wind up being introduced to the world of writing at a relatively young age. He was a printer’s apprentice and helped write articles and political cartoons for “//Hannibal// //Journal”// a newspaper his brother Orion owned. Samuel continued his passion as a writer and wound up leaving Hannibal at the age of 18. He worked in the printing business and was a member of the Union and studied in different public libraries after he finished working. Samuel was soon an educated young gentleman in the United States of America.

**A crowded police docket is the surest of all signs that trade is brisk and money plenty. (Roughing it)**

Samuel Clemens is often sited for having an extremely interesting life. Sam went on a great many travels with his brother in 1861 via Stagecoach. It could be an equivalent to a Road Trip. They traveled for more than two weeks and Mr. Clemens has stated before that he feels that this was a major source of bonding with his older brother. They managed to travel through the Great Plains, Rocky Mountains, and a religious community known as a Mormon Community in Salt Lake City. Eventually the both of them made it to Nevada safe and sound with a great amount of experience and knowledge about the West.

Mr. Clemens wound up working in Virginia City, Nevada as a miner he was literally no good at this job. The young man (now at the age of 26) decided to work at the Territorial Expense. This is the first time he was known for using his famous pen name “Mark Twain”. He soon created a legend for himself as an articulate and humorous article writer.

Mark Twain went onto say that he got experience and inspiration for two books from this particular trip. Those being **//__“Roughing It”__//** which is pretty much a memoir and explanation of the trip. The second being “**//__The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County__//**”. This book is arguably considered one of the best of Mark Twain’s early works. Critics have cited this as being an excellent collection of humorous short stories.

These aren’t the end of his trips however. Mark Twain went on to travel to the Mediterranean, Europe and the Middle East. As a result of this he wrote a book called: **//__“The Innocents Abroad.”__//** Which he has stated is a sequel to “Roughing It”.



**Tomorrow night I appear for the first time before a Boston audience — 4000 critics**

Mark Twain’s popularity soon increased as he released more and more books. Many consider him one of the most prolific writers of the 1900’s and that may well be true. Mark soon entered his social prime in 1868 when he met his future wife Olivia Langdon. He had met her older brother while he was on his European/Middle Eastern tour. Mark claimed love at first sight (which was when he saw her photograph) and she reciprocated his feelings when they met. The couple eloped on February in 1870. Mark Twain went on to build many connections that only caused him to be more included in the high society of those involved in literature in America. He met Harriet Beecher Stowe, Frederick Douglas, and William Dean Howells. He became close friends with these people especially because of the fact that all three of them happened to be strongly against slavery. Mark Twain lived in Buffalo, New York and worked as an editor at the Buffalo Express. Unfortunately, their son Langdon died at 19 months. Children dying at young ages was amazingly common at that age.
 * Letter to Pamela Clemens Moffet (November 9, 1869).**

Mark Twain wound up moving to Hartford, Connecticut where he lived for 17 years. This is where he was able to produce many of his famous novels. (Such as **//__The Adventure of Tom Sawyer__//** and **//__The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn__//** and many others.) Mark Twain took numerous tours to Europe from 1878 to 1880 to showcase his new works.

Mark Twain was also a personal favorite in clubs. These being small organizations where "gentlemen" assembled to discuss relevant topics about the world, socialize and discuss literature. One club he was known for speaking constantly at was the **Beefsteak Club.** He also became an honorary member of the **Bohemian Club and Savage Clubs** for speaking there.

Mark Twain's wide spread popularity was not the only thing he was known for. He was a philanthropist and a man who belived in paying debts he owed. He was an entrepreneur who invested in as many stocks as he could. One of the most interesting aspects about Mark Twain is how he got into intense debt in the middle of his career. This wasn't because of intense drinking or anything of that nature. Mark Twain invested in many new inventions and patents. Many were successful but some were not. Therefore Mark Twain was dragged into debt when some of his business ventures failed. He was able to recover slightly because of the mass amount of money he made via tours. His friends helped him recove and he insisted on paying his friends paying back even though they asked him not to. Mark Twain was a man of science and he thrived to invest in what he considered great inventions. Mark Twain was also a freemason.




 * I came in with Halley's Comet in 1835. It is coming again next year, and I expect to go out with it. It will be the greatest disappointment of my life if I don't go out with Halley's Comet. The Almighty has said, no doubt: 'Now here are these two unaccountable freaks; they came in together, they must go out together.'\**

There is not much one can say about this quote. It came true. He died on April 21, one day after Haley's Comet from a heart attack. The whole country mourned him.

**I was sorry to have my name mentioned as one of the great authors, because they have a sad habit of dying off. Chaucer is dead, Spencer is dead, so is Milton, so is Shakespeare, and I’m not feeling so well myself.**

I learned many things about American History when I researched Mark Twain. FIrst and foremost is that literature has impacted America in many ways. Mark Twain was one of the greatest Abolitionists of our day and age and he did his best to show his views regarding slavery to the world with two of his best sold books. He was a wise man and was a great celebrity of his day and age. However, he didn't let that influence his pride. He lived a normal life and always paid back his debts. Many people believed that Mark Twain was happy with his life and he probably was. When he died he had no regrets and he was comfortable with the thought of death, which was why he seemed to be able to predict it so uncannily. Mark Twain was an enigma and yet a down to earth man who is still remembered and treasured in this day and age.

**A man cannot be comfortable without his own approval (citations)**
snarky, man. "Mark Twain pic1". Photobucket. N/A <[]>.

snarky, man. "Mark Twain pic2". Photobucket. N/A <[]>.

twig, twain. "Mark Twain pic3". Photobucket. N/A .

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(All names are credited to the photobucket users....)

Twain, Mark. __Life on the Mississipi__. New York: Harper and Row Publishers, 1911.