William Elliot Griffis

William Elliot Griffis (September 17, 1843 - February 5, 1928) was an American orientalist, Congregational minister, lecturer, and prolific author.

Early life Griffis was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the son of a sea captain and later a coal trader. During the American Civil War, he served two months as a corporal in Company H of the 44th Pennsylvania Militia after Robert E. Lee invaded Pennsylvania in 1863. After the war, he attended Rutgers University at New Brunswick, New Jersey, graduating in 1869. In recompense, he was provided with a salary of $2,400, a house in Fukui and a horse.

In 1872–74, Griffis taught chemistry

The prolific writer was also a prolific traveller, making eleven trips to Europe—primarily to visit the Netherlands. In 1898, he was present at the enthronement of Queen Wilhelmina; 1891 - Publishes Sir William Johnson and the Six Nations, and an edition of The Arabian Nights 1892 - Publishes Japan: In History, Folklore and Art 1893 - John Elliot Griffis (second son) born in Boston 1893-1903 - Serves as Pastor of the First Congregational Church, Ithaca, NY 1894 - Publishes Brave Little Holland and What She Taught Us 1895 - Publishes The Religions of Japan From the Dawn of History to the Era of Meiji: Shinto, Buddhism and Confucianism, and Townsend Harris, First American Envoy in Japan [an edition of Harris's journals] 1897 - Publishes The Romance of Discovery: A Thousand Years of Exploration and the Unveiling of Continents 1898 - Publishes Charles Carlton Coffin: War Correspondent, Traveller, Author and Statesman; The Romance of American Colonization; The Pilgrims in Their Three Homes. Katherine Stanton Griffis dies in Ithaca on December 9 1899 - Publishes America in the East: A Glance at Our History, Prospects, Problems and Duties in the Pacific Ocean; The Romance of Conquest: The Story of American Expansion Through Arms and Diplomacy 1899 - Awarded LHD by Rutgers College 1900 - Marries Sarah Frances King (1868–1959). Publishes The American in Holland: Sentimental Rambles in the Eleven Provinces of the Netherlands; The Pathfinders of the Revolution: A Story of the Great March into the Wilderness and Lake George Region of New York in 1779; and Verbeck of Japan: A Citizen of No Country. 1901 - Publishes In the Mikado's Service: A Story of Two Battle Summers in China. 1902 - Publishes A Maker of the New Orient: Samuel Robbins Brown, Pioneer Educator in China, America, and Japan, the Story of his Life and Work, and Mighty England - Our Old Home. 1903 - Resigns pastorate to write and lecture full-time. Publishes John Chambers: Servant of Christ and Master of Hearts, and his Ministry in Philadelphia; Sunny Memories of Three Pastorates; and Young People's History of Holland. 1904 - Publishes Dux Christus: An Outline Study of Japan. 1907 - Decorated with the Order of the Rising Sun, Fourth Class, by the Emperor of Japan. Publishes The Japanese Nation in Evolution: Steps in the Progress of a Great People, and Christ, the Creator of the New Japan. 1908 - Publishes The Firefly's Lovers and Other Fairy Tales of Old Japan. 1909 - Publishes The Story of New Netherland: The Dutch in America. 1911 - Publishes China's Story in Myth, Legend, Art and Annals, and The Unmannerly Tiger and Other Korean Tales. 1912 - Publishes A Modern Pioneer in Korea: The Life Story of Henry G Appenzeller; Might England: the Story of the English People; The Call of Jesus to Joy; Belgium, the Land of Art. 1913 - Publishes Hepburn of Japan and His Wife and Helpmates: A Life Story of Toil for Christ. Margaret Clark Griffis dies in Ithaca, December 15. 1914 - Publishes The House We Live In, Architect and Tenant: Talks About the Body and the Right Use of It. 1915 - Publishes Millard Fillmore: Constructive Statesman, Defender of the Constitution, President of the US; The Mikado, Institution and Person: A Study of the Internal Political Forces of Japan; The Story of Belgium. 1916 - Publishes Bonnie Scotland and What We Owe Her. 1918 - Publishes Dutch Fairy Tales. 1919 - Publishes Belgian Fairy Tales. 1920 - Publishes Swiss Fairy Tales; Young People's History of the Pilgrims. 1921 - Publishes Welsh Fairy Tales; The Dutch of the Netherlands in the Making of America. 1922 - Publishes Korean Fairy Tales; Japanese Fairy Tales. 1923 - Publishes The Story of the Walloons, at Home, in the Lands of Exile and in America. 1924 - Publishes Proverbs of Japan: A Little Picture of the Japanese Philosophy of Life as Mirrored in Their Proverbs. 1926 - Publishes The American Flag of Stripes and Stars: Mirror of the Nation's History, Symbol of Brotherhood and World Unity. 1926-27 - With Frances King Griffis, journeys to Japan for the second time, stopping in Korea and Manchuria. 1926 - Decorated with the Order of the Rising Sun, Third Class. 1928 - Dies in Winter Park, Florida, February 5.

Published works 1876 -- The Mikado's Empire 1880 -- Japanese Fairy World 1881 -- Asiatic History; China, Korea, and Japan 1882 -- Korea, the Hermit Nation 1885 -- Korea, Without and Within 1887 -- Matthew Calbraith Perry: A Typical American Naval Officer 1889 -- The Lily among Thorns 1890 -- Honda the Samurai: A Story of Modern Japan. 1891 -- Sir William Johnson and the Six Nations 1892 -- Japan in History, Folk-Lore, and Art 1894 -- Brave Little Holland and What she Taught us 1895 -- The Religions of Japan 1895 -- Townsend Harris, First American Envoy in Japan 1897 -- Romance of Discovery 1898 -- Charles Carlton Coffin: War Correspondent, Traveller, Author and Statesman 1898 -- Romance of American Colonization 1898 -- The Pilgrims in their Three Homes 1898 -- The Student's Motley 1899 -- The Romance of Conquest 1899 -- The American in Holland 1899 -- America in the East 1900 -- Verbeck of Japan 1900 -- The Pathfinders of the Revolution 1901 -- In the Mikado's Service 1902 -- A Maker of the New Orient 1903 -- Young People's History of Holland 1903 -- John Chambers 1903 -- Sunny Memories of Three Pastorates 1904 -- Dux Christus: An Outline Study of Japan 1907 -- Japanese Nation in Evolution: Steps in the Progress of a Great People 1908 -- The Fire-fly's Lovers and Other Fairy Tales of Old Japan 1909 -- The Story of New Netherland 1910 -- China's Study in Myth, Legend, Art, and Annuals 1911 -- The Unmannerly Tiger and Other Korean Tales 1912 -- A Modern Pioneer in Korea: The Life Story Of Henry G. Appenzeller 1913 -- Hepburn of Japan 1914 -- The House We Live In Architect and Tenant 1915 -- The Mikado Institution and Person 1915 -- Millard Fillmore: Constructive Statesman, Defender of the Constitution 1916 -- Bonnie Scotland and What We Owe Her 1918 -- Dutch Fairy Tales for young folks 1919 -- Belgian Fairy Tales 1920 -- Young People's History of the Pilgrims 1920 -- Swiss Fairy Tales 1921 -- Welsh Fairy Tales 1921 -- The Dutch of the Netherlands in the Making of America [reprinted by Kessinger Publishing, Whitefish, Montana, 2007. (paper)] 1922 -- Korean Fairy Tales 1922 -- Japanese Fairy Tales 1923 -- The Story of the Walloons, at Home, in the Lands of Exile and in America 1924 -- Proverbs of Japan: A Little Picture of the Japanese Philosophy of Life as Mirrored in Their Proverbs 1926 -- The American Flag of Stripes and Stars: Mirror of the Nation's History, Symbol of Brotherhood and World Unity