Biography / Autobiography Reading Comprehension Passages

The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin: Part Two

At the time I establish’d myself in Pennsylvania, there was not a good bookseller’s shop in any of the colonies to the southward of Boston. In New York and Philad’a the printers were indeed stationers; they sold only paper, etc., almanacs, ballads, and a few common school-books. Those 78 who…

Helen and Boating

Helen Keller was born in 1880 in Alabama. As a small child, she became seriously ill. She recovered, but she lost her sight and her hearing. Because she was so young when she became ill, she never learned to speak. Helen’s parents knew she was very bright and found a…

The Emigrant Train

Robert Louis Stevenson was a famous author of adventure novels. In one of his nonfiction travel books, he writes about his trip to the United states. In this passage, he tells of his meeting with a railroad newsboy. At that time, a newsboy was a boy who traveled on a…

Little Helen

Helen Keller was born in 1880 in Alabama. She had normal hearing and seeing abilities when she was born. However, when she was just 19 months old, she became very sick. After she recovered she could no longer hear or see. In this passage from her autobiography, Helen remembers what…

Abraham Lincoln, the Inventor

Abe leaned over the steamboat. “Not again. We’re caught on a sandbar. This happens too often.” Abe and his friend Sam watched as the crew unloaded the cargo, piece by piece. “Well, we might as well sit down. This will take a while,” said Sam. “Too bad we have to…

Leaves from the Notebook of an Emigrant Between New York and San Francisco

Robert Louis Stevenson, a native of Scotland, took a train trip from New York to San Francisco in 1879. This is from the beginning of his trip. —————————————————– Tuesday.-When I awoke, it was already day; the train was standing idle; I was in the last carriage, and, seeing some others…

Louisa May Alcott: Novelist and Feminist

Writing was a means of escape for Louisa May Alcott. Through her words, she explored and chronicled the world around her. Her most famous novel, Little Women, was inspired by her own family life. A prolific writer and storyteller, she was the author of many novels as well as children’s…

Up From Slavery: Boyhood Days

Booker T. Washington was born into slavery in 1856. He dedicated himself to education and started many schools for black students. He founded and was named head of the Tuskegee Institute, a black university in Alabama. Washington was a leader of the African American community until his death in 1915.…

Her Story: Sojourner Truth

Sojourner Truth was born into slavery in New York around 1797. Her birth name was Isabella Baumfree. She changed it to Sojourner Truth in 1843. She suffered under several owners before she finally escaped to freedom in 1825. She became a widely admired abolitionist and feminist. Below is a passage…

Bessie Blount Griffin: Inventor and Forensic Scientist

Can you write with your left hand and your right hand? Can you write with your teeth and your toes? Bessie Blount Griffin could do all of these things. She used her education and knowledge to help injured soldiers. She was also a handwriting expert and crime fighter. Bessie Blount…