Daniel Defoe(1660-1731)
- Writer
Born the eldest son and third child of James and Mary Defoe, Defoe
received a very good education, as his father intended him to become a
Presbyterian minister, but he chose to become a merchant instead. In
1684 he joined the army of the rebel Duke of Monmouth, but when the
rebellion failed, Defoe was forced into semi-exile. He went bankrupt in
1692, and began writing professionally. He wrote a satirical pamphlet
in 1703 called "The Shortest Way with the Dissenters", for which he was
pilloried. After a stint in Newgate prison and more troubles with his
bankruptcy, Defoe wrote "Robinson Crusoe" and "Moll Flanders", both of
which were great successes. Labeled a social historian for his interest
in colonization, economics, and exploration, Defoe died of a lethargy
in Cripplegate on 24 April 1731.
