Jacob Abbott facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Jacob Abbott
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| Born | November 14, 1803 Hallowell, Maine, United States
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| Died | October 31, 1879 (aged 75) Farmington, Maine, United States
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| Alma mater | Bowdoin College |
| Occupation | Children's author |
Jacob Abbott (born November 14, 1803 – died October 31, 1879) was a famous American author. He wrote many books especially for children. He is best known for his Rollo Books, which taught young readers about life, travel, and different subjects.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Jacob Abbott was born on November 14, 1803, in Hallowell, Maine. He went to school at the Hallowell Academy.
He later graduated from Bowdoin College in 1820. After college, he studied at Andover Theological Seminary in 1821, 1822, and 1824. He also taught at Portland Academy and was a tutor at Amherst College.
Career as an Educator and Author
From 1825 to 1829, Jacob Abbott was a professor of mathematics and natural philosophy (which is like early science) at Amherst College. He was also allowed to preach as a minister in 1826.
Abbott loved teaching and started several schools. In 1829, he founded the Mount Vernon School for Young Ladies in Boston. He was also a founder and principal of Abbott's Institute in New York City with his brothers.
He was a very busy writer! Jacob Abbott wrote 180 books all by himself. He also helped write or edit 31 more books. His books included stories for young people, short histories, biographies (life stories of famous people), religious books, and some popular science books.
He passed away in Farmington, Maine, where he had spent part of his later life. His brother, Samuel Phillips Abbott, founded the Abbott School there.
Famous Book Series
Jacob Abbott's most famous books are the Rollo Books. These books, like Rollo at Play and Rollo in Europe, followed a boy named Rollo and his friends. They taught young American readers about many things, similar to how books like Evenings at Home taught children in England.
After the Rollo Books, he wrote about a character called Uncle George. Through Uncle George, he taught young readers about important topics like ethics (right and wrong), geography, history, and science.
He also wrote:
- 22 volumes of biographical histories (stories about historical figures).
- A 10-volume set called the Franconia Stories.
- Other popular series like the Lucy Books, Jonas Books, Harper's Story Books, Marco Paul, Gay Family, and Juno Books.
Family Life
On May 18, 1829, Jacob Abbott married Harriet Vaughan. They had four sons: Benjamin Vaughan Abbott, Edward Abbott, Austin Abbott, and Lyman Abbott.
Interestingly, many members of his family were also authors! His brothers, John Stevens Cabot Abbott and Gorham Dummer Abbott, were writers. His sons, Benjamin Vaughan Abbott, Austin Abbott (both famous lawyers), Lyman Abbott, and Edward Abbott (a clergyman), were also well-known authors.
See also
In Spanish: Jacob Abbott para niños
