George Washington Greene
| George Washington Greene | |
|---|---|
| Born |
8 April 1811 East Greenwich, Rhode Island |
| Died | February 2, 1883 (aged 71) East Greenwich, Rhode Island |
| Nationality | American |
| Alma mater | Bowdoin College |
| Occupation | Historian |
| Spouse(s) | Catherine Van Buren Porter |
George Washington Greene (April 8, 1811 – February 2, 1883) was an American historian. He was also the grandson of Major-General Nathanael Greene, a hero of the American Revolutionary War.
Greene was born in East Greenwich, Rhode Island, to Nathanael Ray Greene and Anna Maria Greene (née Clarke). He was named by his mother Katie Greene, after the great General George Washington. In 1824, as a young teenager, George entered Bowdoin College, in Brunswick, Maine. But, during his junior year, he withdrew on account of poor health.
Greene traveled to Europe in the hopes of improving his health. In 1828, while in Italy, he befriended Henry Wadsworth Longfellow and served as the aspiring poet's traveling companion; their friendship lasted 54 years. Greene was in Europe during the majority of the next twenty years, except in 1833–1834, when he was principal of Kent Academy at East Greenwich. He served as the United States consul in Rome from 1837 to 1845.
He was instructor in modern languages at Brown University from 1848 to 1852. In 1853, he edited Joseph Addison's works, with copious notes (6 vols., New York). He took up residence in East Greenwich once again in 1865; not long afterward he was chosen to represent the town in the Rhode Island General Assembly. He made speeches in 1867 and 1869 on the ratification of the 14th and 15th amendments to the Constitution of the United States.
In 1871-1875 he was a non-resident lecturer in American history in the Department of History at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York. When he returned to East Greenwich, his good friend Longfellow purchased a home for him, which is still standing at 144 Division Street. Shortly after, a windmill was attached to the house.
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