Herman Melville was born August 1, 1819 in New York. He was the third of eight children who lived in poverty throughout their late childhood. Melville grew up hearing tales of adventure, as his father was a world traveler and both his grandfathers’ Revolutionary War heroes. This prompted him to seek a brave, courageous life, and then put his experiences on paper. Allan Melville died when his son was only twelve. This forced Herman to quit school and find work to help support the family. This cut his education short, and he never actua ....