Washington Irving

Washington Irving (1783–1859) was an American writer. He is best known for the stories “Rip Van Winkle” and “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow,” published in his collection The Sketch Book of Geoffrey Crayon. He also wrote essays, travel books, and historical biographies, including Astoria, an account of John Jacob Astor’s expedition, as well as biographies of Oliver Goldsmith and George Washington. Irving published under the pseudonyms Geoffrey Crayon, Diedrich or Dietrich Knickerbocker, and Jonathan Oldstyle. From 1842 to 1845, he served as the United States ambassador to Spain.