Dion Boucicault's controversial play about slavery opens at the Winter Garden Theater in New York City

Dion Boucicault was a Dublin-born, London educated writer and actor who had recently spent several years in New Orleans. His play was based on a novel in the then popular genre of "fancy-girl" stories in which beautiful one-eighth negro women are sold at the auction block in dramatic circumstances. The Octoroon; or, Life in Louisiana portrayed a white raised daughter discovered to be part black and condemned to be sold at auction. Opening as it did four days after John Brown's execution, Boucicault's play did little to decrease tensions over slavery. (By John Osborne)
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Edward Fitzgerald publishes his translation of Omar Khayyám's poetry

The British poet Edward Fitzgerald published his translation of the poetry of the eleventh century Persian writer on this day under the title The Rubáiyát of Omar Khayyám of Naishapur.  Fitzgerald's publisher, Bernard Quarich, printed two hundred copies.  Sales were so poor at first that much of this first run, originally priced at five shillings, were sold on the stall outside his Quarich's Leicester Square shop for a little as a penny.  Subsequent fame was more significant and long-lasting.  (By John Osborne)
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Cultural
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George Eliot publishes her best-selling three volume novel Adam Bede

Mary Anne Evans, publishing under her famous pseudonym George Elliot, released her three volume novel, Adam Bede with an initial print run of 2100 copies. These sold out within weeks and the novel went on to become the her most popular, and best-selling, work during her lifetime, with more than 30,000 copies sold.  (By John Osborne)
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Tennyson's newly published Idylls of the King selling strongly in England

 Alfred, Lord Tennyson published the first four of what were to be twelve idylls under the title Idylls of the King at the end of June.  The issue, containing the stories of Enid, Vivien, Elaine, and Guinevere, sold 10,000 copies in six weeks and received almost universally glowing reviews.  (By John Osborne)

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Alfred, Lord Tennyson, detail

Scanned by
Library of Congress
Notes
Cropped, sized, and prepared for use here by John Osborne, Dickinson College, December 28, 2008.
Image type
print
Use in Day View?
No
Courtesy of
Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division
Permission to use?
Public
Original caption
Alfred Lord Tennyson, bust portrait, facing right
Source citation
Alfred Lord Tennyson Biographical Collection, Library of Congress

Alfred, Lord Tennyson

Scanned by
Library of Congress
Notes
Cropped, sized, and prepared for use here by John Osborne, Dickinson College, December 28, 2008.
Image type
print
Use in Day View?
No
Courtesy of
Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division
Permission to use?
Public
Original caption
Alfred Lord Tennyson, bust portrait, facing right
Source citation
Alfred Lord Tennyson Biographical Collection, Library of Congress

George Elliot, detail

Scanned by
New York Public Library
Notes
Cropped, sized, and prepared for use here by John Osborne, Dickinson College, December 28, 2008.  Detail size only.
Image type
print
Use in Day View?
No
Courtesy of
Humanities and Social Science Library, New York Public Library
Permission to use?
Yes
Original caption
George Elliot
Source citation
Historical and Public Figures Collection, NYPL Digital Gallery
Source note
Original image at NYPLDigitalGallery.

Study by Sir Frederic Burton for a portrait of Elliot he completed in 1864.

Edward Fitzgerald, detail

Scanned by
New York Public Library
Notes
Cropped, sized, and prepared for use here by John Osborne, Dickinson College, December 28, 2008.  Detail size only.
Image type
print
Use in Day View?
No
Courtesy of
Humanities and Social Science Library, New York Public Library
Permission to use?
Yes
Original caption
Edward Fitzgerald
Source citation
Historical and Public Figures Collection, NYPL Digital Gallery
Source note
Original image at NYPLDigitalGallery

John Wentworth (Congressional Biographical Directory)

Reference
"Wentworth, John," Biographical Directory of the United States Congress, 1774 to Present, http://bioguide.congress.gov/scripts/biodisplay.pl?index=W000295.
WENTWORTH, John,  (grandson of John Wentworth, Jr.), a Representative from Illinois; born in Sandwich, Carroll County, N.H., March 5, 1815; educated in the common schools and academies at Gilmanton, Wolfeboro, and New Hampton, N.H., and South Berwick, Maine; taught school for several years, and contributed political articles to newspapers; was graduated from Dartmouth College, Hanover, N.H., in 1836; moved to Chicago, Ill., in 1836, where he engaged as a clerk in a law office, and also studied law; editor and manager of the Chicago Democrat; appointed aide-de-camp to
Biographical Directory of the United States Congress, 1774 to Present
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