William Cullen Bryant: American Poet and Influential Abolitionist

A poet at an early age, Bryant promoted nature conservancy and anti-slavery at a difficult time in American history.

William Cullen Bryant Memorial with a sculpture of the poet in Bryant Park next to the New York Public Library in Midtown Manhattan. CC BY-SA 3.0

A child prodigy, William Cullen Bryant (1794–1878) developed a passion for the written word at an early age. As he grew up, Bryant became a successful poet who promoted nature conservation, including advocating for the creation of Central Park in New York City. In his later years, Bryant used his position as a newspaper editor and leader of public opinion to sway the country toward ending slavery.

Bryant was born in 1794 in a log cabin near Cummington, Massachusetts, to physician Peter Bryant and Sarah Snell. Snell’s family had arrived in New England on the Mayflower in 1620.