Herman Melville: Connection To The Civil War

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Herman Melville 1819-1891 "Call me Ishmael." Do you know what book that comes from? Do you know who wrote that? If you do, did you know that he actually was connected to the Civil War? I do, and I'll tell you all about him. His name was Herman Melville, and he was born in New York, New York, to Allan and Maria Melville. He lived a VERY privileged childhood, and began his erratic education at age five. I say erratic because Allan Melville loved spending money that was or wasn't his. That forced the family to move a lot, and it also meant that tuitions were difficult to pay for. Allan Melville died in 1832, still in debt. That forced Herman to get a job. He was a schoolteacher for a short time, but then decided to become a sailor.

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