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Period: to
Timespan
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Puritanism
During this time period it was about both religious and civil institutions of American democracy. The literature was along with the genre was very religious. A major writer was John Calvin, who was a leader to the puritans. -
Newspapers & Magazines
Few newspapers are being written, the Boston New-Letter, however, once the revolution arrived many more were produced. Although it wasn't until 1741 that the first magazine appeared. -
The Enlightenment
Independence as well as unity thrived during this time period. This new feeling lasted 75 years, which was just after expoloration and settlement. It was after Jefferson's retirement from presidency that the country started fresh in the realm of literature. Conflicting ideas between Jonathan Edwards and Benjamin Franklin began during this time period. the Age of Reason viewed humanity as needing to be greatly involved with nature and God. The major genres during this time period are nature & God -
National Poetic Literature
John Trumbull's satires: The Progress of Dullness, which was a stab at "educators". Timothy Dwight, who was wrote Greenfield Hill, left just that novel behind. Joel Barlow also was important for his published American epic. -
Important People
Nathaniel Evans, Francis Hopkinson and Thomas Godfrey are legendary for their writing of the first american playwright. These playwrights were both satirical and sentimental. Anne Bradstreet, Edward Taylor, and Philip Freneau are also important contributors to this era as well as Michael Wigglesworth who wrote The Day of Doom. -
Beginning of Romanticism
John Dickinson is famous during this time for presenting a colonial position with the hope of helping British moderation. Mercy Otis Warren also had the same idea when she wrote political essays as well as satirical dramas, which finally led to her History Of The Rise, Progress; and Termination of the American Revolution. -
Native Americans
Native Americans left behind no way of knowing their literature as they had no way of recording it. However, there were some colonists that did write for them. The absense of their voices stands very important in history. -
Beginning of Romanticism
After writing The Age of Reason, Tom Paine, along with Alexander Pope, Thomas Gray, Oliver Goldsmith and William Blake became well aware of the romanticism forming. Poems written by Jefferson and Freneau became prominent and dominated literure during 1810. -
Romanticism (1825-1865)
Romanticism is about the freedom of showing individuality and self-expression. Imagination as opposed to rational thought was greatly accepted. The creation of the U.S is considered to be from romantic thought therefore proving romanticisms importance in history. Famous writers during this era are Henry David Thoreau, and Walt Whitman. The novel The Last of The Mohicans also goes together with the Indian Removal Act which also happened during this movement. -
Transcendentalism (1835-1860)
Transcendentalism is the beliefs of unity between nature and God, the presence of God in each individual and the perfectibility of humans. Ralph Waldo Emerson was important during this time period as he believed that "nothing is at last sacred but the integrity of your own mind". During this time period Uncle Tom's Cabin was composed as well as in South Carolina slaves were also considered not citizens. -
Realism (1865-1910)
Realism was represented in the world by realist writers who supported a strong, authoratative manner and described their experiences that were typical rather than exotic. The style of writing was typically prose. Frank Norris, Theodore Dreiser, and Sinclair Lewis are all important figures during the realism movement. Huckleberry Fin is a notable novel that was written during this time period. -
Modernism (1890-1945)
Modernism was driven by the belief that the assurances that were once provided by religion, politics or society no longer were necessary. Literary form as well as expression, Imagism and Vorticism were also addressed during this movement. The novel The Awakening as well as woman being able to vote are important events during Modernism. -
Naturalism (1893-1914)
As opposed to Romanticism, Naturalism emphasizes the limited abilities of humans in finding their own destiny. Naturalism focused on two main aspects which dealt with social and political dynamics of American urban life and biological aspects of deterministic thought. The Wright Brothers first flight as well as the novel The Call of the Wild appeared during this time period. -
Lost Generation(1920-1930)
This generation is mainly about the loss of values, mood of ftility and the despair leading to hedonism. This literary movement was more depressing as it was typically writers from right after World War 1. Novels written during this time perido are An American Tragedy, which was written after the Great Depression. -
Harlem Renaissance(1923-1935)
This renaissance mainly dealt with the movement of African American Literature who were associated with Harlem. The Great Gatsby is a novel written within this time period. The Great Depression also occured. -
Postmodernism(1945-2006)
Passages written within this time period usually deal with serious themes and absurd, playful or comic aspects. Styles of literature within Postmodernism are philosophy, art and architecture. The novel All the King's Men was written just before the Cold War which leads to a connection that maybe people knew the war was going to happen. -
Beat Generation(1955-1964)
This generation showed individual freedom as well as proved the materialism, militarism, consumerism, and confomity of the 1950s. John Clellon Holmes is an important person during this generation as well as poet Allen Ginsberg. The Sound and the Fury was a novel written within this generation and the U.S Labor Movement was an important event that occurred. -
Works cited
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-pbs.org/wnet/americannovel/timeline/index.html
