John Stevens Cabot Abbott

He was a brother of Jacob Abbott, and was associated with him in the management of Abbott's Institute, New York City, and in the preparation of his series of brief historical biographies. Dr. Abbott graduated at Bowdoin College in 1825, prepared for the ministry at Andover Theological Seminary, and between 1830 and 1844, when he retired from the ministry in the Congregational Church, preached successively at Worcester, Roxbury and Nantucket, all in Massachusetts.[1]

Owing to the success of his work, The Mother at Home, he devoted himself from 1844 onwards, to literature. He was a voluminous writer of books on Christian ethics, and of popular histories, which were credited with cultivating a popular interest in history. He is best known as the author of the widely popular History of Napoleon Bonaparte (1855), in which the various elements and episodes in Napoleon's career are described. Abbott takes a very favourable view towards his subject throughout. Also among his principal works are: History of the Civil War in America (1863–1866),History of Napoleon III Emperor of the French (1868), and The History of Frederick II, Called Frederick the Great (New York, 1871). He also did a foreword to a book called Life of Boone by W.M. Bogart, about Daniel Boone in 1876.

In general, although he did not write juvenile fiction, his work in subject and style closely resembles that of his brother, Jacob Abbott.

His mind was extremely clear and active, and he could leave the subject in hand for something entirely different, and then resume his former work without the slightest inconvenience, also he was blessed with a singularly even temperament; by his personal goodness, as well as by his books, he had a great influence on the world, he continued active in work nearly to the time of his death, to which he looked forward with joy rather than resignation.[2]

On August 17, 1830 he married Jane Williams Bourne, daughter of Abner Bourne and Abagail Williams.[3] Together they raised nine children:

1. John Brown Abbott (November 29, 1831 – May 24, 1839)
2. Jane Maria Abbott (born November 25, 1833)
3. Waldo Abbott (September 8, 1836 – July 7, 1864)
4. Harriet Vaughan Abbott (born February 18, 1838)
5. Ellen Williams Abbott(born January 11, 1840)
6. Laura Sallucia Abbott (born October 30, 1843)
7. Elizabeth Ballister Abbott (March 15, 1847 – February 23, 1864)
8. Emma Susan Abbott (born July 12, 1849)
9. Gorham Dummer Abbott (September 3, 1807 – August 3, 1874)

As a part of the 1872 Iwakura Mission Abbott was given guardianship of Shige Nagai, a Japanese girl sent to the United States to be educated. She became one of the first piano teachers in Japan, and one of the first two Japanese women to attend a college.

Abbott died at Fair Haven, Connecticut on 17 June 1877.[2] In 1910, a series of twenty short biographies of historical characters by J. S. C. and Jacob Abbott, was published. Their brother, Gorham Dummer Abbott, was also an author. Abbott's grandson, Willis Abbott, was a journalist and author and an editor of the Christian Science Monitor.[4]

Wikisource has the text of the 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica article Abbott, John Stevens Cabot.

Attribution

•  This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Abbott, John Stevens Cabot". Encyclopædia Britannica (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press.
•  This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Cousin, John William (1910). A Short Biographical Dictionary of English Literature. London: J. M. Dent & Sons – via Wikisource.

• Works by John Stevens Cabot Abbott at Project Gutenberg
• Works by John Stevens Cabot Abbott at Faded Page (Canada)
• Works by or about John Stevens Cabot Abbott at Internet Archive
• Works by John Stevens Cabot Abbott at LibriVox (public domain audiobooks)
• John Stevens Cabot Abbott Autograph Book at the William L. Clements Library