Thackeray, William Makepeace

Thackeray, William Makepeace( 1811–63),
English novelist, twice visited the U.S. (Nov. 1852–April 1853; Oct. 1855–April 1856), delivering lectures on English literature and history. Prior to his first trip he had published Henry Esmond, the conclusion of which deals with colonial Virginia. Its sequel, The Virginians, was the result of research begun during the second visit, when he outlined the idea to Cooke and received suggestions from J.P. Kennedy.