Edwin Forrest was the foremost American actor of the nineteenth century. His advocacy of American, and specifically Jacksonian, themes made him popular in New York's Bowery Theatre. His rivalry with the English tragedian William Charles Macready led to the Astor Place Riot, and his divorce from Catharine Sinclair Forrest was one of the greatest social scandals of the period. This full-length biography examines Forrest's personal life while acknowledging the impossibility of separating it from his public image. Included is a historical chronology of every known performance the actor gave.

Reproduction of the original.

The life story of the eccentric American stage actor who publicly feuded with British actor William Macready and was a participant in one of the most scandalous divorce trials of the time; he also was a patron of American playwrights and a benefactor of retired actors.