Francis Parkman (1823-1893) was an American historian and author, best known for his vivid accounts of early American history. He is particularly renowned for The Oregon Trail: Sketches of Prairie and Rocky-Mountain Life, which vividly describes his travels along the trail, and for his monumental seven-volume work France and England in North America, which examines the colonial history of North America from a unique perspective. These works are still valued both as important historical sources and as literary achievements due to Parkman's engaging writing style and deep insights into early American history. Born on September 16, 1823, in Boston, Massachusetts, Parkman was educated at Harvard University, where he also studied law. Despite his academic training, he became deeply interested in history, especially the early exploration and settlement of North America. Parkman faced significant health challenges throughout his life, which did not prevent him from producing a large body of work. He was the son of Francis Parkman and Caroline Parkman and had a daughter, Katherine Scollay Coolidge. Parkman died on November 8, 1893, in Massachusetts, leaving behind a legacy that continues to influence both historians and literary scholars.
