Miles Standish, the Puritan Captain (eBook)

John Stevens Cabot Abbott (1805–1877) was an American historian, pastor, and pedagogical writer whose work both reflected and contributed to the 19th-century interest in history as a tool for national and moral instruction. Born in Brunswick, Maine, Abbott graduated from Bowdoin College in 1825, later attending Andover Theological Seminary and pursuing a life of letters intertwined with religious duties. Abbott is best known for his accessible and popular biographies, which often infused moralistic elements and patriotic sentiments into the narrative of his subjects' lives. His literary style favorably combined didacticism with engaging storytelling, catering to a broad audience eager for inspirational American history during a time of burgeoning national identity. Among his many historical works, 'Miles Standish, the Puritan Captain' stands out as a significant contribution to the romanticizing of American colonial history. Abbott's portrayal of this iconic figure not only illustrated his narrative skill but also his ability to encapsulate the Puritan ethos and its place in the American psyche. This book, like many others by Abbott, aimed to instill a sense of moral rectitude and national pride in its readers, traits characteristic of Abbott's historical writings. His prolific output includes titles such as 'The History of the Civil War in America' and biographies on figures like Napoleon Bonaparte, distinguishing him as a prominent figure in the genre of 19th-century historical and biographical literature.