In the words of G. Thomas Tanselle (Tanselle 1966: 307), Royall Tyler was “a man of affairs first, a writer second”. As a man of affairs, Chief Justice Tyler practiced law for over thirty years, much of which went into his two volumes of American jurisprudence,
Reports of Cases Argued and Determined in the Supreme Court of Judicature of the State of Vermont(1809 and 1810). Balancing the scales of justice was not just a profession for Tyler; it was also his passion. Ever the devout nationalist, Tyler wrote frequently and fervently in favor of a nation of one American people, Federalist and Republican alike. As a writer, Tyler the playwright used satire and Yankee wit to critique national division and to encourage a common American identity, placing this political agenda in the mouths…
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Citation: Bak, John Steven. "Royall Tyler". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 30 October 2009 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/speople.php?rec=true&UID=4491, accessed 23 November 2024.]
