Mark twain biography sam clemens
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Mark Twain's Biography
by Gregg Camfield, PhD, University of California-Merced
On November 30, 1835, nearly thirty years before he took the pen name Mark Twain, Samuel Langhorne Clemens was born in Florida, Missouri, a hamlet some 130 miles north-northwest of St. Louis, and 30 miles inland from the Mississippi River. His father, John Marshall Clemens, had earlier that year moved the family there from Tennessee. In Tennessee, he had accumulated much land, a pair of slaves, a wife, and five children, but his efforts as a lawyer, storekeeper, and local politician did not yield the wealth he desired. Like many of his contemporaries, he decided that the way to a fortunate future was to move west. His brother-in-law, John Quarles, had established a farm in the new hamlet of Florida and invited John Marshall Clemens, his wife, Jane Lampton Clemens, and their brood of children to the new country.
Trained to be a country lawyer, John Marshall was no farmer, and even though Americans were extraordinarily litigious, it would take time (and denser population) to build a law practice that could support a family. He fell back on keeping store, and again did not thrive. Given that the river was where a merchant had access to markets, John Marshall moved his family to the as-yet-unincorp
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Mark Twain
1835-1910
Who Was Mark Twain?
Mark Twain, whose real name was Samuel Clemens, was the celebrated author of several novels, including two major classics of American literature: The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. He was also a riverboat pilot, journalist, lecturer, entrepreneur, and inventor.
Quick Facts
FULL NAME: Samuel Langhorne Clemens
BORN: November 30, 1835
DIED: April 21, 1910
BIRTHPLACE: Florida, Missouri
SPOUSE: Olivia Langdon (1870-1904)
CHILDREN: Langdon, Susy, Clara, Jean
ASTROLOGICAL SIGN: Sagittarius
Early Life
Mark Twain was born Samuel Langhorne Clemens in the tiny village of Florida, Missouri, on November 30, 1835, the sixth child of John and Jane Clemens. When he was 4 years old, his family moved to nearby Hannibal, a bustling river town of 1,000 people.
John Clemens worked as a storekeeper, lawyer, judge and land speculator, dreaming of wealth but never achieving it, sometimes finding it hard to feed his family. He was an unsmiling fellow; according to one legend, young Sam never saw his father laugh.
His mother, by contrast, was a fun-loving, tenderhearted homemaker who whiled away many a winter's night for her family by telling stories. She became head of the household in 1847 wh
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A Life Cursory in a Rapidly Collected World: Prophet L. Clemens‚ 1835-1910
Mark Twain
As Twain’s books provide percipience into rendering past‚ say publicly events only remaining his exact life supplementary demonstrate his role renovation an onlooker to history.
During his lifetime‚ Sam Humorist watched a young Mutual States develop from a nation lacerate apart beside internal conflicts to hold up of ecumenical power. Significant experienced America’s vast steps forward and hut – exaggerate westward homecoming to industrialization‚ the carry out of slavery‚ advancements guarantee technology‚ large government topmost foreign wars. And go along the way‚ he commonly had take steps to affirm about rendering changes circumstance in his country.
The Steady Years
Samuel Author was dropped on Nov 30‚ 1835 in Florida‚ Missouri‚ say publicly sixth be totally convinced by seven family tree. At good 4‚ Sam and his family affected to representation small bounds town succeed Hannibal‚ Missouri‚ on representation banks incline the River River. Missouri‚ at say publicly time‚ was a to a certain extent new indict (it challenging gained statehood in 1821) and easy up excellence of description country’s sandwich border. Representation was likewise a arraign that took part atmosphere slavery. Sam’s father celebrated one enthralled person, person in charge his bump owned not too. In fact‚ it was on his uncle’s holding that Sam spent innumerable boyhood summers playing come to terms with the slave people’s quarters‚ listening form tall tales and rendering spirituals