Royall Tyler
Royall Tyler (June 18, 1757 – August 26, 1826) was an American
jurist, teacher and
playwright. He was born in Boston, graduated from
Harvard University in 1776, and then served in the
Massachusetts militia during the
American Revolution. He was admitted to the bar in 1780, became a lawyer, and fathered eleven children. In 1801, he was appointed a
Justice of the
Vermont Supreme Court. He wrote a play,
''The Contrast'', which was produced in 1787 in
New York City, shortly after
George Washington's inauguration. It is considered the first American comedy. Washington attended the production, which was well-received, and Tyler became a literary celebrity.
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