Samuel johnson biography summary rubric

Samuel Johnson, one of the most prolific and esteemed essayists, critics, and lexicographers in English history, was born to a bookseller and his wife in Lichfield, Staffordshire, England in 1709.

Johnson was a brilliant child but suffered from the enmity between his parents and poverty. His time at Oxford University was truncated when money could not be procured to finish his degree.

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An attempt to found a teaching academy also failed, and Johnson moved to London in 1737 to try his hand at professional writing.

He wrote for and eventually edited the Gentleman’s Magazine; he contributed poetry, notices, biographies, political articles, and more.

His existence in London was also characterized by indebtedness, and some critics trace his radical political stance to his quality of life. He was very critical of the Whig government, and excoriated their corruption, censorship, and lapses in justice.

In 1746 Jo