Nathaniel Hawthorne: 1804-1864

Nathaniel Hawthorne was born in Salem, Massachusetts on July 4, 1804. His father, Nathaniel Hathorne, was a sea captain and descendent of John Hathorne, one of the judges in the Salem witchcraft trials of 1692. He died when the young Nathaniel was four years old. From Salem the family moved to Maine.

Between the years 1825 and 1836, Hawthorne worked as a writer and contributor to periodicals.

In 1842 Hawthorne married Sophia Peabody. They settled first in Concord, but a growing family and mounting debts compelled their return to Salem. Hawthorne was unable to earn a living as a writer and in 1846 he was appointed surveyor of the Port of Salem.

His novel "The Scarlet Letter" was a critical and popular success. He was one of the first American writers to explore the hidden motivations of his characters.

In 1853 he was appointed consul in Liverpool, England. He lived there for four years, and then spent a year and a half in Italy.

Hawthorne died on May 19, 1864, in Plymouth, N.H. on a trip to the mountains.