John Greenleaf Whittier, an American writer, was born in 1807 in Haverhill, Massachusetts to John and Abigail Hussey Whittier. He had little formal schooling until he entered the Haverhill Academy in 1827. His first poem was published in 1826 in William Lloyd Garrison's newspaper "Free Press." His poems were also published weekly in the "Haverhill Gazette." In 1829, he became editor of "The American Manufacturer", and published his first book in 1831. Following his meeting with Garrison in 1833, Whittier became a strong abolitionist. In 1835, he was elected to the Massachusetts General Court. He spoke at many anti-slavery rallies, wrote for abolitionist newspapers and championed the formation of the Republican Party. In his later years, he published many volumes of poetry and served as a political consultant to a number of Republicans. He died on September 7, 1892, in Hampton Falls, Massachusetts.