IV 111th CONGRESS 1st Session H. RES. 99 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES January 28, 2009 Mr. Poe of Texas (for himself, Mr. Scott of Virginia, Mr. Cohen, Ms. Edwards of Maryland, Mr. Hinchey, Mr. Sarbanes, Mr. Cummings, Mr. McGovern, and Mr. Hinojosa) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform RESOLUTION Recognizing Edgar Allan Poe for his literary contributions to American history on the 200th anniversary of his birth.

Whereas, on January 19, 1809, Edgar Allan Poe was born in Boston, Massachusetts; Whereas Edgar Allan Poe was raised by John and Frances Allan of Richmond, Virginia; Whereas Edgar Allan Poe joined the military at the age of 18; Whereas Edgar Allan Poe rose to the rank of Sergeant Major; Whereas while in the military, Edgar Allan Poe was sent to Sullivan’s Island in Charleston, South Carolina; Whereas Edgar Allan Poe’s time in Charleston inspired him to write and make the settings for The Gold Bug, The Balloon Hoax, and Tamerlane and Other Poems (1827); Whereas Edgar Allan Poe lived in Baltimore, Maryland; Whereas while living in Baltimore, Edgar Allan Poe won $50 for his short story, “MS Found in a Bottle”, from a Baltimore newspaper; Whereas Edgar Allan Poe also lived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Whereas Edgar Allan Poe published 31 stories while in Philadelphia; Whereas Edgar Allan Poe wrote “The Tell-Tale Heart”, which is one of Poe’s most famous gothic pieces of work, while living in Philadelphia; Whereas Edgar Allan Poe is widely attributed to being the first writer of fiction to earn a living through his writing alone; Whereas Edgar Allan Poe is known for writing horror fiction, crime fiction, detective fiction, and gothic; Whereas Edgar Allan Poe is considered the inventor of the detective fiction genre; Whereas the Mystery Writers of America have named their awards for excellence in the genre, the Edgars; Whereas Poe wrote “The Murders in the Rue Morgue”, which has been claimed to be the first detective story written; Whereas Poe wrote “The Cask of Amontillado”, a crime mystery short story; Whereas Poe has contributed great works of poetry to society; Whereas Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Raven” remains one of the most popular poems ever written; Whereas the Poe Museum in Richmond, Virginia, serves as a permanent testament to the contributions Edgar Allan Poe has given to literature; Whereas the Edgar Allan Poe National Historic Site located in Philadelphia is a preserved home that Edgar Allan Poe lived in; Whereas Edgar Allan Poe is buried with his wife and aunt under the monument erected to him in Westminster Graveyard in downtown Baltimore; and Whereas January 19, 2009, will be the 200th anniversary of Edgar Allan Poe’s birth: Now, therefore, be it

That the House of Representatives honors Edgar Allan Poe and recognizes his impact and contributions to American literature on the 200th anniversary of his birth.