▁trip ▁to ▁the ▁Y uc atan ▁Pen ins ula ▁and ▁wrote ▁about ▁it . ▁ ▁Biography ▁ ▁Early ▁life ▁Benjamin ▁Moore ▁Norman ▁was ▁born ▁on ▁December ▁ 2 2 , ▁ 1 8 0 9 , ▁in ▁Hudson , ▁New ▁York ▁to ▁William ▁E . ▁Norman , ▁local ▁books eller . ▁When ▁his ▁father ▁died , ▁the ▁younger ▁Norman ▁left ▁his ▁cl erk ship ▁in ▁New ▁York ▁City ▁to ▁take ▁over ▁the ▁family ▁book store . ▁Short ly ▁after , ▁he ▁left ▁Hudson ▁for ▁Philadelphia , ▁only ▁to ▁move ▁to ▁New ▁Orleans ▁in ▁ 1 8 3 7 , ▁which ▁would ▁be ▁his ▁permanent ▁home ▁for ▁the ▁rest ▁of ▁his ▁life . ▁ ▁Career ▁In ▁December ▁ 1 8 4 1 , ▁he ▁had ▁made ▁progress ▁on ▁Stephen ' s ▁by ▁writing ▁on ▁the ▁topic ▁of ▁the ▁May a ▁Civil ization ▁in ▁the ▁Y uc at án ▁Pen ins ula . ▁He ▁tra ve led ▁through ▁the ▁pen ins ula ▁visit ing ▁Vall ad olid , ▁Ch ich én ▁It zá , ▁U x mal , ▁and ▁San ▁Francisco ▁de ▁Campe che . ▁In ▁this ▁last ▁location ▁Norman ▁was ▁interview ed ▁by ▁Just o ▁Sierra ▁O ' Re illy ▁who , ▁much ▁later , ▁character ized ▁him ▁in ▁his ▁newspaper , ▁The ▁Y uc at án ▁Register ( vol ▁ 1 , ▁page ▁ 3 4 2 ), ▁in ▁the ▁following ▁way : ▁ ▁In ▁effect , ▁after ▁three ▁months ▁of ▁travel ▁through ▁the ▁Y uc at án ▁Pen ins ula ▁Norman ▁returned