American Romanticism

1820’s-1861

I. American Life

• Changes dramatically in a short period of time

A. Population in 1800: 5.3 million

Population in 1850: 23.1 million

Drastic Changes, cont.

D. The first significant middle class rises to power.

E. Cities really begin to flourish

II. Literacy in America

Caused by middle class

• Publishing industry flourishes at this time.

• Newspapers become widely popular1800 200 newspapers in USA1830 1200 newspapers in USA1830 47 newspapers in NYC2007 +/- 12 newspapers in NYC

Literacy, cont

C. Creates people who want to be

Responsible Voters

D. People start following issues like, Slavery, Women’s Rights, Worker’s rights, Indian’s rights.

All these changes lead tothe birth of American Literature!

What is Literature???

III. Changes in Religion

A. Church is in Decline

B. Separation of “Church and State”

1. No Mandatory Church Attendance

C. Bible stories become Folklore

1. People still read and understood it

2. Writers could use it

C R Classicists

Man perfected by society

Romantics

Man is already good; he is corrupted by society

C R Classicists

The here and now

Romantics

The distant past and

the Far away

C R Classicists

Logic

Romantics

Emotion

C R #6Classicists

Reason

Romantics

Instinct

Puritan Art

Classicist Art

Romantic Art

Romantic Art

Romantic Art

Romantic Art

The Romantic Hero

Is someone who breaks away from society

Someone who is at the center of their own existence

Other characteristics include introspective, regret and self-criticism.

The Birth of American Literature

The Father of

American Literature

Washington Irving

Dates

Puritanism

1620’s-1750’s

Classicism

1750’s-1820’s

Romanticism

1820’s-1861

Tenets of American Romanticism:A. Nothing to do with L-O-V-E

B. Draw Influence from the Usual, Ordinary, Everyday

C. Be concerned with Nature

1. It is ordered, simple, raw

D. Stress the individual!

E. Define man by his ability to feel emotion

Romantic Characters Will

A. Think with their Hearts.

B. Trust their instincts.

C. Communicate with and learn from nature.

D. Not fit in with contemporary society.

The Birth of American Literature

The Father of American

Poetry

William Cullen Bryant

The Birth of American Literature

The Father of the

American Short Story

Edgar Allan Poe

The Birth of American Literature

The Father of the

American Novel

James Fenimore Cooper

The Last of the Mohicans