Jack London

Presented by: Morgan Rae Burke

The Early Years

John Griffith Chaney (Jack London) was born on 615 Third Street, San Francisco, California, on January 12, 1876 to Flora Wellman. His father, William Chaney, was an astrologer who left Flora when he found out about the pregnancy and later denied being Jacks father. Due to his fathers absence and his mother illnesses, Jack spent most of his baby years in the care of Virginia Prentiss, a wet-nurse and ex-slave. On September 7, 1879 Flora married a Civil War Veteran named John London. The family of three then moved around the San Francisco Bay area until settling down in Oakland California. John Griffith Chaney took on the last name of London and changed his name to Jack. Giving us the Jack London we know today.

http://www.jacklondons.net/life.html)

Birds eye view of where Jack was born. What google says 615 3rd street is.

Flora Wellman

Flora Wellmanand

John London

School Yard Days

Fun Fact:Jack was five years old the first

time he got drunk. His Step-father was ploughing in the field and asked Jack to bring the pail of beer out to him. Jack knew

adults treated this like precious gold, so of course he was going

to take a taste. He ended up emerging his entire head in the

pail and went to town. http://www.jacklondons.net/writings/JohnBarleycorn/chapter3.html

University of California, Berkeley

(1896–1897)Oakland High School

(1896)

University:

2nd row,2nd to the right,with the bow tie. Oakland Cole Grammar School

(1887)Oakland High School

(1985)

Grade School:

through the years…

JACK LONDON

Notable Adventures

July 12, 1897 at age 21, Jack partook in the Klondike Gold

Rush

(The adventures that inspired many writings of Jack London)

January 20,1893 at age 17 Jack signed up as a seaman on

the Sophia Sutherland

Family Life

In April of 1900 Jack married Elizabeth

(Bess) Maddern. But not in the name of

love, but in the name of science.

In the summer of 1903 Jack left his wife and kids and fell in love with an old friend,

Charmian Kittredge. They later got married

11/19/05

Jack and Bess had two little girls, Joan (01/15/1901) and Bessie 90/20/02)

http://www.jacklondons.net/life.html

Jack and his two Daughters

Jack and NaturalismJack London is known as a naturalist. A

naturalist, according to the webster dictionary is “an expert in or student of natural history.” The titles of his works

alone show proof in this statement. Jake spent many hours living in wild

environments. His writings portray naturalism through the environment in

his stories as well as the way his characters are shaped. London’s

characters are very instinctive and adventurous. His books, much like his life, expresses this sense of natural

adventure.

“You can not wait for inspiration. You must go after it with a club. -Jack London

Writings

London’s most popular book Call of the Wild was published in 1903. It is based on his experience in the Klondike Gold Rush.

London's first published writing was Typhoon of the Coast of Japan. He

wrote it after serving eight months as a

seaman on the Sophia Sutherland. (1893)

London's first published book

Based on his time at sea

The only London book I own

19041902

1906

January 12 1876-November 22 1916

Jack Died November 22, 1916. His sudden death led to some debate on how he passed. Many say he died due to a drug overdose some say kidney failure (due to his alcohol problem.) His daughter Becky London states that the biographies written about her father committing suicide are wrong. She says her father became ill early November but refused to accept it and carried on with his life as usual. She did said that it is possible that he could of taken too many of his pills or mixed his pills on accident. The proof that has led her to believe her father did not commit suicide was a letter written by him to his daughters about wanting to take a trip to Oakland the following Sunday. Becky said that her father would never write that note and then intentionally kill himself.

On London’s death certificate it states the cause of death was Uremic Poisoning.

Photo of Jack shortly before he died.

(http://www.jacklondons.net/nosuicide.html)

The End