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Classic Authors: Daniel Defoe

© Susan Jensen

Daniel Defoe never dreamed of being a writer. In fact, he considered himself a merchant and a businessman. He only turned to writing when he found himself in financial trouble. Certainly, he never imagined that his name would go down in history as the author of some of the most widely-read adventure stories of all time.

Daniel was born in London in 1660, probably in September. He became the third child of James and Mary Defoe. His Nonconformist father labored as a tallow chandler, and possibly as a butcher. Mary Defoe died when Daniel was only ten. After his wife's death, James Defoe sent Daniel away to boarding school, hoping that his son would become a minister. Daniel then attended Charles Morton's Academy at Newington Green, where he proved himself to be an able student.

By the time he was a young man in his 20s, Daniel Defoe had become a successful merchant in London. On January 1, 1684, he married Mary Tuffley, a wealthy heiress. Later that year, he joined the army of the rebellious Duke of Monmouth, who sought to overthrow James II. When the attempt failed, the troops were forced into a semi-exile. Daniel, therefore, spent several years traveling in Europe and writing anti-James II pamphlets.

In the early 1690s, Daniel went bankrupt. Exactly why this happened is unknown, but Daniel himself said that he had a weakness for investing in unwise speculations and projects. Although he paid off most of his debt, he would never be debt-free again. He turned to writing as a means of earning money. In 1701, he published a poem entitled, "The True-Born Englishman." The verses became the best-selling poem ever; it was so popular that Daniel Defoe often signed his name as, "The True-Born Englishman," and everyone knew what he meant.

Daniel continued writing pamphlets, one of which earned him a trip to the pillory. The document, "The Shortest Way with the Dissenters," satirized the conflicts between the Dissenters (English Protestants who did not conform to the doctrines of the Church of England) and the High Flyers (High Church Tories). The High Flyers loved the work until they realized it was satire. Daniel was promptly arrested for seditious libel and was made to endure the public shame of being pillorized. While awaiting his punishment, Daniel composed "Hymn to the Pillory"(1703), which the common people adored. Thus, while Daniel endured his time in the pillory, the crowds toasted his health and read aloud sections of his hymn.