(1807-92), poet. Whittier's simple, direct style made him popular. He wrote against slavery and in praise of New England country life. A
Quaker and
abolitionist, Whittier began as a journalist for William Lloyd Garrison. His political poem "Ichabod" (1850) attacks Daniel Webster's support of the Compromise of 1850. Popular works include "The Barefoot Boy" (1855), "Barbara Frietchie" (1863), and "Snowbound" (1866). Whittier, California, and Whittier College were named for him.
