William Cardell
Encyclopedia
William S. Cardell was an early American fiction writer and scholar.
He is best remembered for his sea stories
for boys, which combined adventure tales with moral instruction. The Story of Jack Halyard, the Sailor Boy (1824) was the most famous of these; others were Jack Halyard and Ishmael Bardus and Jack Lawrence, or the Adventures of a Cabin Boy. Cardell produced abundant fiction for younger readers, with titles like The Moral Monitor and The Orphans: an American Tale Addressed Chiefly to the Young. He was a significant figure in the evolution of American children's literature
.
In his own generation Cardell had a reputation as a grammarian and an educational reformer. He wrote Elements of English Grammar, Philosophical Grammar of the English Language, and The Analytical Spelling Book, among other titles. He was the founder of the short-lived American Academy of Language and Belles Lettres (1820–22). Cardell advocated a democratic approach to the English language as opposed to British traditionalism; his correspondents included James Madison
and John Quincy Adams
.
Cardell was educated at Williams College
. He was the only child of Apphia Hyde and Captain Samuel Cardell, the latter a ship's captain from New London who was lost at sea during action in the American Revolutionary War
, on 13 January 1781. Apphia Hyde Cardell later remarried Benjamin Walworth and raised a second family. Reuben H. Walworth
was a child of Benjamin Walworth and Apphia Hyde Cardell Walworth, and a half brother of William S. Cardell.
He is best remembered for his sea stories
Sea story
-Description:The enclosed setting of life aboard a ship allows an author to portray a social world in miniature, with characters cut off from the outside world and forced to interact in cramped and stressful conditions....
for boys, which combined adventure tales with moral instruction. The Story of Jack Halyard, the Sailor Boy (1824) was the most famous of these; others were Jack Halyard and Ishmael Bardus and Jack Lawrence, or the Adventures of a Cabin Boy. Cardell produced abundant fiction for younger readers, with titles like The Moral Monitor and The Orphans: an American Tale Addressed Chiefly to the Young. He was a significant figure in the evolution of American children's literature
Children's literature
Children's literature is for readers and listeners up to about age twelve; it is often defined in four different ways: books written by children, books written for children, books chosen by children, or books chosen for children. It is often illustrated. The term is used in senses which sometimes...
.
In his own generation Cardell had a reputation as a grammarian and an educational reformer. He wrote Elements of English Grammar, Philosophical Grammar of the English Language, and The Analytical Spelling Book, among other titles. He was the founder of the short-lived American Academy of Language and Belles Lettres (1820–22). Cardell advocated a democratic approach to the English language as opposed to British traditionalism; his correspondents included James Madison
James Madison
James Madison, Jr. was an American statesman and political theorist. He was the fourth President of the United States and is hailed as the “Father of the Constitution” for being the primary author of the United States Constitution and at first an opponent of, and then a key author of the United...
and John Quincy Adams
John Quincy Adams
John Quincy Adams was the sixth President of the United States . He served as an American diplomat, Senator, and Congressional representative. He was a member of the Federalist, Democratic-Republican, National Republican, and later Anti-Masonic and Whig parties. Adams was the son of former...
.
Cardell was educated at Williams College
Williams College
Williams College is a private liberal arts college located in Williamstown, Massachusetts, United States. It was established in 1793 with funds from the estate of Ephraim Williams. Originally a men's college, Williams became co-educational in 1970. Fraternities were also phased out during this...
. He was the only child of Apphia Hyde and Captain Samuel Cardell, the latter a ship's captain from New London who was lost at sea during action in the American Revolutionary War
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...
, on 13 January 1781. Apphia Hyde Cardell later remarried Benjamin Walworth and raised a second family. Reuben H. Walworth
Reuben H. Walworth
Reuben Hyde Walworth was an American lawyer and politician...
was a child of Benjamin Walworth and Apphia Hyde Cardell Walworth, and a half brother of William S. Cardell.