An Author and His Work :A Kid in King Arther's Court Research Term Paper An Author and His Work Mark Twain was born Samuel Langhorne Clemens to John Marshal Clemens and Jane Lampton Clemens. He was born on November 30, 1835 in a small city called Florida, Missouri, which had a population of one hundred people. "I increased the population by one percent," he said. "It is more than many of the best men in history could have done for a town" (Cox, 7) Samuel, however did not live most of his life in Florida, but moved around throughout his life. His family moved to Hannibal, MO when he was four years old and that was where he went to school. For the reason that there were no public schools in Hannibal at the time, Sam was sent to a private school taught by Mrs. Horr. He had to leave this school at twelve years of age when his father died. There wasn't much money left to support the Clemens after John Clemens died so Sam was forced to be apprenticed to Joseph Ament. Ament owned a print shop and a newspaper called Hannibal Courier. Here was where Sam would cut the last strings connecting him to his childhood and become much of an adult. The apprenticeship led Samuel to fame and fortune in the future and opened his eyes to the world of literature. (Cox, 23) The death of Samuel's father had a strong effect on him. Although he wasn't very close to John, Sam felt guilt that he hadn't been a better son to his father and promised his mother at the side of John's...
