The Life of Daniel Defoe.

Dec 3, 2002

The Life of Daniel Defoe

Daniel Defoe was easily one of the most influential and accomplished English author/writer of all time. Not only is Daniel Defoe considered as the founder of the English novel along with Samuel Richardson, but he was also a critical figure in European journalism and political commentary. Defoe has produced as much as 200 works of non fiction and 2,000 short essays in various periodical publications. In addition to over half a dozen full length novels such as Robinson Crusoe, a tale of a shipwrecked sailor stranded on a remote island. Defoe has done more than anyone else in his lifetime; he was a merchant, business owner, soldier, editor, journalist, and writer. Much of his life he was oppressed because of his religion, beliefs, and political and social ideals, because of his opposition to the church and state he was jailed and imprisoned many times. Defoe’s writing reflected the fast growth of the English Middle class with new business opportunities in 1600-1700.

Daniel Foe was born in London sometime in 1660 to an English butcher and candle merchant James Foe. He later changed his surname to Defoe, probably to return to his old foreign family name. His father was a Dissenter, a Presbyterian protestant who was not a part of the established Anglican Church. Defoe’s mother died when he was 10, and his father sent him to boarding school. At the time Dissenters could not attend Cambridge and Oxford universities(unless they take an oath to the Church of England), in fact at the time Dissenters were prosecuted slightly by the Catholic who were the majority of the country. Dissenters had to send their children to dissenting academies. At the age of 14 Defoe went to attend a dissenting academy in Newington Green under headmaster Rev. Charles Morton. Morton was a progressive educator and gave his students a good grounding in English, Greek, and Latin. Morton was a big influence to Defoe’s style of writing, he can be seen as a character in later works of Defoe. Even though Defoe’s nonconformist father had always intended for him to go into ministry, Defoe had decided that he did not wish to pursuit priesthood. Defoe jumped into trade and politics and started to travel Europe working as a commission agent.

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Business with trade seemed to occupy Defoe in his early 20s. He traveled around trading different items and products such as stockings, wine, tobacco, and oysters. He even wrote many articles and essays on economics and capitalistic theories. He was one of the very few people at that time with such advanced ideas concerning the economy, and he was one of very few people to praise trade, capitalism, and business in his time. But unfortunately even with all of his thought about economics he went bankrupt in 1691. He made risky business maneuver to insure ships during a war with France, this mistake put him £17,000 in debt. He was never able to fully recover from this, even after paying off £12,000 of what he owed within 10 years. He was still haunted by his debt for the rest of his of his life. In 1684 Defoe Married Mary Tuffley, a daughter of a merchant, they went on to have 7 children..

In 1685 Defoe as a Dissenter joined Monmouth rebellion against Catholic King James II. After the rebellion was put down Defoe was hiding in a churchyard, he saw a headstone with the name Robinson Crusoe engraved into it, he later gave this name to his famous hero. For 3 years Defoe traveled Europe as a merchant and tourist while writing material against James II. Daniel Defoe became a big supporter of King William of Orange joining his army in 1688, he rose high in rank and between 1695 to 1699 was appointed by King William to an accountant to the commissioners of the Glass duty. He was also a secret advisor and leading pamphleteer for King William.

In 1701 Defoe wrote the satirical The True-Born Englishman, which became the best selling poem of that time. At the time that the poem was written, the English have not come to accept William of Orange as he was a foreigner from Holland. Defoe made the point in The True-Born Englishman that since all English have non-English roots in them it would be reasonable to accept William as king. “Wherever God erects a house of prayer, The Devil always builds a chapel there; And 'twill be found, upon examination,
The latter has the largest congregation.”, from The True-Born Englishman. Defoe followed up with The Shortest Way with Dissenters in 1702, with a sarcastic tone he made fun of the Established Church by pretending to be on their side, and then accuse all other religions of ridiculous things. For this he was pilloried and sent to prison. But when he was supposed to be pilloried, the crowd did not throw tomatoes at him like it was done normally. They had too much respect for their “True-Born Englishman”. Instead people drank while he read verses from a poem he wrote in prison Hymn to the Pillory. The text reads from Hymn to the Pillory -- "Actions receive their tincture from the times, And as they change are virtues made of crimes."

He was soon released from prison on behalf of Robert Harley the Earl of Oxford to continue writing pamphlets, and working on a new journal “The Review”, founded in 1704 was printed three times a week until 1713. This was very close to what a newspaper might have been today.. Defoe kept on publishing his views, and very often he would get in serious trouble for his work. “The Review” however was used by Harley and Defoe to unite England and Scotland. Defoe continued to work for the government, doing secret missions for the queen he traveled to different places to “measure the mood” of the people then report back.

Daniel Defoe has used many pen names during his career as a writer. Due to that it is hard to tell exactly how much work he has produced. But no matter what name he used his pamphlets were successful and widely read. Because of his questionable views he made many political enemies. Between 1716 and 1721 Defoe spend time covertly editing other publications, including Mercurius Politicus, Manufacturer, and Director. He was contributor from 1715 to periodicals published by Nathaniel Mist.

Defoe began writing novels in 1706 with The Apparition Of Mrs Veal, but it was not until 1719 when Robinson Crusoe was published that Defoe became more than journalist. After Robinson Crusoe’s success Defoe was recognized as a great fiction writer. Crusoe was based on the story of Alexander Selkirk, a pirate who intentionally stranded himself on a remote island Juan Fernandez for four years until his rescue. Robinson Crusoe is a realistic story about a realistic person overcoming great challenges. Robinson had to rebuild his world out of raw materials in an unfamiliar domain. The novel illustrated how important the need for society is, and how solitude can break down a person. After the success of Robinson Crusoe, Defoe followed up with more novels; Moll Flanders, A Journal of the Plaque Year, Colonel Jack, and Roxana. Moll Flanders is similar in some ways with Robinson Crusoe, only Moll Flanders has a female protagonist. Both novels deal with a real person stuck in a difficult situation with only their own wit to survive the harsh conditions.

By 1920s Defoe stopped producing any kind of political pamphlets or literature, perhaps he became tired of creating enemies and rivals. He however kept on writing novels and in 1724-27 published 3 volume historical guide book; A Tour Thro the Whole Island of Great Britain. This set provided detailed first hard account of the state of the country. Along with it’s economic and social state.

Daniel Defoe died on the 26th or 24th of April 1731, in Ropemakers Alley in Moorfields, now part of the London Borough of Hackney. He died poor.

Daniel Defoe was one of the greatest writers ever because he observed how social and economic surroundings effected human nature. His novels are important in history because they mark an important break from traditional long poems and dramas. Defoe created reality of what we are reading by presenting realistic details and conditions. Defoe’s complex lifestyle contributed to his understanding of people and the world.

Annotated Bibliography

"Daniel Defoe @ Catharton” <>.

Biography of Daniel Defoe expressing his involvement with religion and politics.

Books and Writers Online. <>.

Biography of Daniel Defoe quoting and describing the work that he has published and produced. With a list of work along with dates.

Daniel 'The True-Born Englishman' Defoe - Incomptech <>.

Summery of important events in life of Daniel Defoe. His imprisonment and struggle by the Catholic church.

"Daniel Defoe” World Book Encyclopedia. 234. 1992.