Image of Charles Morris

Timeline

Lifetime: 1833 - 1922 Passed: ≈ 102 years ago

Title

American Journalist, Novelist

Country/Nationality

United States
Wikipedia

Charles Morris

Charles Morris was an American journalist, novelist and author of popular historical textbooks.  

  
He was born in Chester, Pennsylvania, the son of Samuel Pearson Morris and Margaret Burns. After studying locally he worked as a teacher in Chester, but in 1856 moved to Philadelphia where he became professor of languages at the Academy of Ancient and Modern Languages.  

  

He abandoned his academic career in 1860, working in business up to 1878, while developing his reputation as a professional creative writer and journalist. He published short stories, poems, and serial novels in Beadle's Saturday Journal.  

  

After becoming a full-time writer he published a large number of history textbooks, including The War with Spain, histories of the United States, a general History of the World, The Story of Mexico, and History of Pennsylvania. Other publications include Civilization, a Study of its Elements, The Aryan Race: its Origin and Achievements, The Greater Republic and the Dictionary of Universal Biography. He also compiled a series of Historical Tales. These are retold legends and historical events meant to be read for enjoyment rather than used as textbooks. He also wrote biographies, notably of Queen Victoria and William McKinley.  

  

He edited collections of interviews with writers under the titles Half Hours with the Best American Authors and Half Hours with the Best British Authors.  

  

Morris also wrote dime novels. As was common practice at the time, these were often published under a variety of pseudonyms. These names included, "Redmond Blake", "Edward Lytton", "Jo Pierce", "C. E. Tripp", "R. R. Inman", and "George S. Kaine", "Paul Preston", "William Murry", "E. L.Vincent", "J. H. Southard", "Roland Dare", "S. M. Frazier", "Hugh Allen", "J. D. Ballard", and "Paul Pastnor".  

  

Immediately after the 1906 San Francisco earthquake, he was sent by his publisher to write a first-hand report on the event which was published as The San Francisco calamity by earthquake and fire.  

  

Charles Morris died at his home in Philadelphia on September 7, 1922.  

Books by Charles Morris

Historical Tales, Vol I: American I Cover image

Historical Tales, Vol I: American I

History Non-Fiction
Colonization United States

Volume I of a series containing anecdotes and stories, some well-known, others less so, of particular countries. This first volume comprises the discovery, colonization, founding, and early years of the United States of America, describing history fo...

Historical Tales, Vol II: American II Cover image

Historical Tales, Vol II: American II

History Non-Fiction
Colonization Discovery United States

Volume II of a series containing anecdotes and stories, some well-known, others less so, of particular countries. This second volume supplements the first with additional stories of the discovery, colonization, founding, and early years of the United...

Historical Tales, Vol III: Spanish American Cover image

Historical Tales, Vol III: Spanish American

History Non-Fiction
Colonization Discovery

Volume III of a series containing anecdotes and stories, some well-known, others less so, of particular countries. This third volume covers the discovery, colonization, founding, and early years of the countries of South America, describing history f...

Historical Tales, Vol IV: English Cover image

Historical Tales, Vol IV: English

History Non-Fiction
England

Volume IV of a series containing anecdotes and stories, some well-known, others less so, of particular countries. This fourth volume covers the history of England from its conversion to Christianity up to the reign of Queen Victoria, describing histo...

Historical Tales, Vol V: German Cover image

Historical Tales, Vol V: German

History Non-Fiction
War Rome Germany

Volume V of a series containing anecdotes and stories, some well-known, others less so, of particular countries. This fifth volume covers the history of Germany from its first contact with Rome up to the coronation of Emperor William, describing hist...

Historical Tales, Vol VI: French Cover image

Historical Tales, Vol VI: French

History Non-Fiction
New France War Invasion

Volume VI of a series containing anecdotes and stories, some well-known, others less so, of particular countries. This fifth volume covers the history of France from the Hun invasion of Europe in the 5th century up to the Prussian War, describing his...

Historical Tales, Volume VII: Spanish Cover image

Historical Tales, Volume VII: Spanish

History Non-Fiction
War Conquest

Volume VII of a series containing anecdotes and stories, some well-known, others less so, of particular countries. This seventh volume covers the history of Spain from before the Moorish conquest to the loss of overseas territories at the end of the...

Historical Tales, Volume VIII: Russian Cover image

Historical Tales, Volume VIII: Russian

History Non-Fiction
Foundation Russia

These Russian tales span the time of Russia's founding in the 800s-900s all the way to the early twentieth century and are factually based, although particularly the older tales have become legendary.

The Chronicles of America Volume 06 - The Fathers of New England Cover image

The Chronicles of America Volume 06 - The Fathers of New England

History Non-Fiction
Voyage Society Destiny Determination Religious America England Beliefs Historical United States

"In the crucible of a new land, the seeds of a nation were sown by steadfast Fathers. Unravel the compelling saga of 'The Fathers of New England,' where Charles Morris paints a vivid portrait of the indomitable Pilgrims and Puritans who forged the fo...

The Chronicles of America Volume 09 - Colonial Folkways Cover image

The Chronicles of America Volume 09 - Colonial Folkways

History Non-Fiction
Family Education Struggle Economic Society America Historical United States Immersive Diversity

In "Colonial Folkways," the ninth volume of "The Chronicles of America" series by the eminent historian Charles Morris, readers embark on an immersive journey back to the vibrant era of America's colonial past. Through meticulously researched narrati...

San Francisco Calamity by Earthquake and Fire Cover image

San Francisco Calamity by Earthquake and Fire

The first half of this book describes the devastating earthquake that hit San Francisco in 1906, and the subsequent destruction caused by fire. Various eyewitnesses and victims give their account on the tragedy. In the second half, a number of differ...

Man and His Ancestor: A Study in Evolution Cover image

Man and His Ancestor: A Study in Evolution

An examination of Charles Darwin's theory of evolution and subsequent texts, written for the general public at the turn of the twentieth century, "[...] to dwell on the various significant facts that have been discovered since Darwin's time, and to o...