Washington Irving

            Washington Irving: The Self-educated Author.
             The year was 1804 and Washington Irving was on his way to Europe. He embarked on this journey because of his parents" concern for his health, and to complete his education. His trip was short but well accomplished, learning many things, which helped benefit his writing future. He traveled back to the states and realized that his trip was well worth the time and effort. Irving made one of the most life changing decisions in his life by traveling back to Europe, he decided not only this but also to start an import/export business. Successful, he was not. The business went bankrupt shortly after. Irving then decided to improve his writing knowledge and ability by traveling abroad Europe. In the process of trying to gain great knowledge on many of things he received horrifying news, shortly before his 24th birthday, that his mother died. Irving thought and grieved upon this and decided that it would be best if he stayed in Europe. This greatly impacted his knowledge of writing and what he was going to write about. The death of Washington Irving's mother made him convinced he needed to stay in Europe, greatly influencing one of his most famous writings, Rip Van Winkle. (Hill 482-483).
             Irving lived among a family who was of much literary prestige. He gained only a fragment of necessary education, receiving what little he had in male seminaries. However, he completed his education on his own well before the age of sixteen. He was sent by his parents to explore in the wilderness at an early age. .
             He explored the countryside of Old Dutch New York and The Catskills Mountain. He studied law privately, but did so only briefly. (Unger 297).
             His family owned a small business, which he helped run with his two brothers. In 1804 Washington's health started to become bad. His parents made one of the most influential decisions that they would ever make; this was to send their son to Europe.