Considered by many to be America's greatest poet, Walt Whitman inspired the public with his writings on democracy and freedom, even as he drew controversy and condemnation for writing in overtly sexual language. Nicknamed "The Good Gray Poet", Whitman invited questions of intrigue and scandal through his writing, as several of his contemporaries suspected he had sexual relationships with other men. Whitman lived out his later life in solitude after suffering a severe stroke, but fascination about his life continued long after his death and his work remains prominent to this day. He is celebrated for his accessible language, defense of democracy, and frank discussion of sexuality, but he also has come to be criticized for his racist language and early opposition to abolition before later joining the anti-slavery movement. Read more about it!

The information in this guide focuses on primary source materials found in the digitized historic newspapers from the digital collection Chronicling America.

The timeline below highlights important dates related to this topic and a section of this guide provides some suggested search strategies for further research in the collection.