Philip Morin Freneau, dubbed by tradition as “the poet of the American Revolution”, was also variously successful as a teacher, political propagandist, journalist, editor, mariner, and postal worker. Freneau became socially and politically aligned with Republicans (i.e., anti-Federalists, such as Thomas Jefferson), and during his various attempts to obtain gainful employment he published poems, pamphlets, and newspaper articles supporting their policies. He served in the New Jersey militia during the Revolution, worked as a clerk in the Postmaster General's office in Philadelphia, was a ship captain for six years in the Caribbean, and became an editor and journalist for several newspapers during the height of his career in the 1780s and 1790s.
Born of French Huguenot ancestry through
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Citation: Ring, Richard J.. "Philip Freneau". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 16 December 2004 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/speople.php?rec=true&UID=1634, accessed 21 November 2024.]
