Washington Irving grew up admiring horror books. Also, he admired to write stories. So, he put 2 and 2 together, and wrote the legend of Sleepy Hollow.
Another theory and the one that i personally believe is that he wrote stories like the legend of sleepy hollow and Rip Van Winkle to give America a sense of folklore and legend. Europe had the brothers Grimm and America's only source of legend was from Native Americans. Irving wrote to create the sense of legend and folklore old European countries had built up for his newborn America, he created the American legacy.
Washington Irving's purpose in writing "Rip Van Winkle" was to entertain readers with a humorous and fantastical tale that highlighted American folk traditions and the rapid changes occurring in post-Revolutionary War America. Through Rip's character, Irving explored themes of escape, individualism, and nostalgia for a simpler past.
Creatively, Irving was inspired to write the story as a result of a nostalgic conversation with his brother in law. Practically, he was writing at this time, for the income. Earlier in the same year, 1818, he had been forced to file for bankruptcy.
The legend of Sleepy Hollow is about a headless horseman riding around chopping people's heads off while searching for the head he lost. He is controlled by the person who tells him what to do by whispering who to kill in his ear.
I think what inspired him was ghost I'm not sure sorry.
The Legend of Sleepy Hollow (Washington Irving, in The Sketch Book of Geoffrey Crayon, Gent. 1820)
Washington Ivring
Pierre M. Irving
Washington Irving wrote the tale called Rip Van Winkle.
Washington Irving
Washington Irving
Joseph Van Winkle was born on January 15, 1928, in Washington, District of Columbia, USA.
Henry Hudson
Washington Irving-
Washington irving
Washington Irving describes Dame Van Winkle as a stout, shrewish woman known for her sharp tongue and domineering nature. She is depicted as a scold who constantly nags and berates her husband, Rip Van Winkle.
Rip Van Winkle is a fictional character created by American author Washington Irving, and there is no specific birth date provided for him in the story. "Rip Van Winkle" was published in 1819.
Walton Van Winkle has written: 'Quality of the surface waters of Washington' -- subject(s): Water, Water-supply, Composition
Rip Van Winkle.