Samuel Langhorne Clemens known as Mark Twain

One of the greatest American writers: humorist, essayist, novelist and adventurer

Early Years Along the River Born November 30, 1835 in Florida, Missouri Parents John M. and Jane L. Clemens 6th of 7 children

Early Years Along the River Moved to Hannibal, Missouri in 1839 near the Mississippi River His father and uncle owned slaves; Sam spent summers playing in the slave quarters on his uncle’s farm. Grew up playing and exploring along the river Makeshift rafts, playing in the woods and caves, watching steamboats, enjoying the swimming holes

Early Years Along the River Father died in 1847 when Sam was 12, forcing him to quit school at 5th grade and start working.

Career in Journalism 1847 Sam worked as a printer’s apprentice for the Hannibal Courier worked for his older brother Orion as a reporter and a printer at the Hannibal Journal. He ran the paper if his brother was away “A Gallant Fireman” Sam’s short humorous account of a grocery fire is published.

Writing and Traveling Continued working for newspapers in New York City and Philadelphia Traveled and lectured In 1857 he returned home to be an apprentice riverboat pilot on the Mississippi River Brother Henry died in riverboat accident

Traveling 1859 earned his steamboat pilot’s license and worked steadily as a river pilot between New Orleans and St. Louis.

Civil War Mississippi River closed due to the Civil War. Sam’s piloting career ends. He joined a volunteer group of Confederate “irregulars” for a few weeks; Then headed West in search of a new career in prospecting.

Out West Brother Orion was Secretary of Nevada Territory Sam traveled by stage coach from Missouri to Nevada in hopes of getting rich in silver prospecting Encountered Native American tribes for the first time, as well as a variety of unique characters and mishaps

Big Break 1863 Began writing for the Territorial Enterprise in Nevada. Published “Jim Smiley and His Jumping Frog” -- a retelling of a tall tale he picked up from the miners.

“Mark Twain” In 1863, Sam adopted his pen name “Mark Twain” An important part of being a riverboat pilot is knowing the waters -- depths, snags, mud, reefs. To “mark twain” is to sound the depths and deem them safe to passage. Means two fathoms, or twelve feet -- safe water for the steamship.

More than anything, Mark Twain loved the river.

Writing and Traveling He traveled to many cities and wrote for for numerous publications. While traveling he met abolitionist writers Frederick Douglass and Harriet Beecher Stowe, as well as British writer Charles Dickens. He also traveled extensively in Europe, Hawaii and the Holy Land. He published Innocents Abroad about his travels 1869.

Attitude on Slavery Twain wrote that when he was a child he “had no aversion to slavery” and was “not aware that there was anything wrong about it,” which is just like his character, Huck. An abolitionist was considered “low- down,” as Huck would call it, and young Sam would never have wanted to be insulted by that name.

Transformation of Conscience By 1876, however, he questioned the racism he grew up with. He later learned that his own father, John Marshall Clemens, had served on a jury that sent “slave-stealers” to the state penitentiary. At the same time, his father-in-law, Jervis Langdon, had been funding “slave-stealers’” activities.

Transformation Published an anti-lynching editorial in the Buffalo Express. Influenced by Frederick Douglass, Paul Laurence Dunbar and other writings by former slaves. Wrote an editorial against the persecution of the Chinese in San Francisco “Disgraceful Persecution of a Boy”

Ambition Illustration from “Life on the Mississippi”

Huckleberry Finn 1884 He wrote the first 11 chapters of Huck Finn in one summer in He then struggled and spent many years writing the rest. He wrote other works during that time, including Life on the Mississippi published in1883 Huck Finn was published in 1884.

Huckleberry Finn 1884 "All modern American literature comes from one book by Mark Twain called Huckleberry Finn.” - Ernest Hemingway, Green Hills of Africa

Attitude on Racism By the time he finished Huck Finn, Sam not only believed that slavery was wrong, but also that whites owed some sort of back pay. He wrote a letter to the Dean of the Yale Law School in 1885 He paid the expenses of Warner McGuinn, one of the first black law students at Yale. “We have ground the manhood out of them. The shame is ours, not theirs, and we should pay for it.” — Mark Twain wrote to Dean Wayland 1885

Famous Mark Twain Quotes “Of all the creatures that were made he [man] is the most detestable.” “Whenever I feel the urge to exercise I lie down until it goes away.” “If you don’t like the weather in New England, just wait a few minutes.”

Famous Mark Twain Quotes “Familiarity breeds contempt -- and children.” “The past does not repeat itself, but it rhymes.” “The reports of my death are greatly exaggerated.”

Marriage and Family On one of his trips to Europe and the Holy Land, Sam met Charles Langdon Charles showed him a picture of his sister. Sam and Olivia’s first date was to a reading by Charles Dickens in New York. Sam married Olivia (Livy) Langdon in They settled in Buffalo, NY where he worked as a partner and writer for the Buffalo Express.

Olivia Langdon Clemens

Olivia Clemens Olivia was the daughter of an affluent New York family. Her father was an abolitionist. She had poor health, suffering from tuberculosis of the spine between the ages of 14-20, and affecting her life. Her inheritance, along with Sam’s earnings from his writing and lectures, allowed them somewhat of a lavish lifestyle.

Marriage and Family Their first child, Langdon Clemens was born in Buffalo Sam moved his family back to Connecticut to be closer to his publisher (1871) Langdon died of diphtheria.

Mark Twain with two friends in 1871.

Marriage and Family 1873 daughter Suzy was born daughter Clara was born daughter Jean was born.

The family lived in Hartford, CT During these years, Sam completed some of his most famous works: The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, 1876 The Prince and the Pauper, 1881 Life on the Mississippi, 1883 The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, 1884 A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court, 1889

Telephones and Typewriters Mark Twain claimed to be the first in his town to own a telephone. He also is credited with being the first to submit a typewritten manuscript to a publisher. The first commercial typewriter was mounted on a sewing machine stand and typed in all capitals.

Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn It is believed that while Mark Twain was writing Tom Sawyer, he wasn’t sure whether or not he was writing for children or adults. With Huck Finn, it was clear -- he wrote for adults, but the narrator was an innocent child who had seen a lot of pain, death and suffering. He modeled both boys after himself and boys he knew when he was growing up.

Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn

Bad Investments Although he enjoyed some financial success during those years, he also made a bad investments, primarily in a new kind of typesetting machine, which eventually brought him to bankruptcy.

Europe and Tragedy 1891 Sam and Livy moved their family to Europe in 1891 in order to economize and pay back debt 1894 Publishing company failed and Sam embarked on a European Lecture Tour to earn money 1896 Suzy (24 years old) died of meningitis while on a visit to Hartford

More Travels Clemens's traveled the world. He saw lots of war, cruelty and Imperialistic countries exploiting weaker ones. He was angry at what he saw. He wrote Following the Equator

Returning to America His finances were restored 1900 returned to America Vice President of the Anti-Imperialist League Writings turned dark as Mark Twain questioned the greed and cruelty of the human race

More Tragedy Daughter Suzy died of meningitis 1896 Livy, who was an invalid in the last years of her life, died in 1904 Jean, his youngest daughter, and many say “favorite” daugther, died in an epileptic seizure in 1909

Clara At the age of 21, she accompanied her father on an around-the-world lecture tour The following year, the family moved to Vienna so Clara could study piano. There, she met her future husband, classical Russian pianist Ossip Gabrilowitsch.

Clara She gave up piano for singing and performed in theaters in New York. She moved with her family back to New York in 1900, but continued her long-distance romance.

Clara She cared for her mother in her final years. Had a nervous breakdown after her mother’s death and spent a year in sanitarium.

Clara 1909 Clara and Ossip resumed their relationship and were married that year. He died of cancer in They had one daughter, Sam Clemen’s only heir, Nina.

Clara Nina lived on a trust fund her mother set up for her and was supported by royalties from her grandfather’s writings. Nina tried to make it as a photographer, but failed, and died of an drug overdose in L.A. in 1966 when she was 55 years old.

“I know now what the soldier feels when a bullet crashes through his heart.” — Mark Twain after his daughter Jean’s death in 1909.

The End “I came in with Halley’s Comet in 1835…. I expect to go out with it.” Mark Twain died in 1910.

Bibliography Fishkin, Shelley Fisher. (1995) PBS’s Huck Finn Teacher’s Guide. /essay.htm /essay.htm MacDonnell, Kevin. (2005) Collecting Mark Twain: A History and Three New Paths. Antiquarian Booksellers’ Association of America. Merriman C.D. (2006) Mark Twain. The Mark Twain House (2004). Mark Twain: The Man.