John Charles Dent facts for kids

John Charles Dent (born November 8, 1841 – died September 27, 1888) was a Canadian journalist, author, and historian. He was known for making Canadian history interesting and easy to read, much like the famous American historian Francis Parkman.

Early Life and Career

John was born in Kendal, England. Soon after he was born, his family moved to Canada. John went to school in Canada and later studied law in Brantford, Ontario. He became a lawyer in 1865.

However, he soon realized that being a lawyer wasn't for him. He loved writing and wanted to become an author instead. So, he left his law practice and moved to England. There, he worked as a journalist for a newspaper called The Daily Telegraph. He also wrote articles for a magazine called Once a Week. He supported his family by writing articles that could be written quickly and sold easily.

In 1867, John and his family moved to the United States, where he worked in Boston for about two years. After that, they moved to Toronto, Canada. He joined the editorial team of the Toronto Evening Telegram newspaper, which was just starting. For several years, John worked as a journalist for different newspapers, especially the Toronto Weekly Globe. For this paper, he wrote a very popular series of short biographies about "Eminent Canadians."

Becoming a Historian

In 1880, after the death of George Brown, who founded the Globe newspaper, John left that paper. He then started his first big project, The Canadian Portrait Gallery (1880). This huge work came in four large books. It included biographies of important Canadian public figures, both living and dead. These stories were carefully researched and written fairly, without taking sides. This book became very popular and earned John a good amount of money.

John's second book was The Last Forty Years: Canada since the Union of 1841. This book also received a lot of praise. His third major work was a History of the Rebellion in Upper Canada (1885–86). Through careful research, John was able to share new information about the people involved in the Upper Canada Rebellion. When this book was first published, it faced some strong criticism because it went against what many people believed at the time.

His Writing Style

When John wrote history, he agreed with the ideas of Thomas Babington Macaulay. He believed that a true story should be told as enjoyably as a made-up one. He thought that real-life events, whether about politics or everyday life, could be arranged to be as interesting as any fictional tale, without losing accuracy. He felt that the chain of events that make up history could be woven together as beautifully as any story from imagination.

John also wrote short stories, essays, and sketches. A collection of his stories was published after his death in a book called The Gerrard Street mystery and other weird tales (1888). In 1887, John was chosen to be a member of the Royal Society of Canada. People described him as light-hearted, witty, and friendly.

Works

• Canadian Notabilities, (1880)
• The Canadian Portrait Gallery, (1880–81)
• The Last Forty Years: Canada Since The Union Of 1841, (1881)
• The Story Of The Upper Canadian Rebellion, (1885)
• The Gerrard Street Mystery, And Other Weird Tales, (1888)