Literary Movements: Age of Enlightenment (Age of Reason): 1685-1815 Major Writers: Thomas Jefferson, Thomas Paine, Ben Franklin Romanticism: 1800-1860 Major Writers: Edgar Allen Poe, Henry Longfellow, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Henry David Thoreau Naturalism: 1870-1914 Major Writers: Mark Twain, Jack London, Hart Crane, Walt Whitman, Emily Dickinson

American Romanticism 1800-1870 2

Westward Expansion 1803—Louisiana Purchase—doubles the size of the US. Westward expansion forces Native Americans off of their land. “Manifest Destiny”—the belief that the US should spread from the Atlantic to the Pacific; land taken forcibly from Mexico Mexican-American War 1845—US wins and takes remaining land from Mexico 3

Industry Industrial Revolution took hold in early 1800s Factory jobs pulled many into the cities of the North Harsh working conditions Expansion of slavery to keep up with demand for cotton Romantic Writers reacted to industrialization by turning away from cities and focusing on the beauty of nature 4

Human Rights Romantic writers strongly opposed slavery, and frequently wrote against it Romantics helped to raise the consciousness of Americans against the idea of slavery Workers and women also began to organize at this time against the harsh conditions of the factories and the treatment of child workers The Romantics were also at the center of these reforms

Characteristics of Romantic Literature Inspired by nature Celebrated the human spirit A focus on emotions, imagination, and individualism Poetry was a form of entertainment in the 1800s— ”Fireside Poets” wrote poems celebrating history and nature Short Stories also became popular during this time 6

Transcendentalists Transcendentalists celebrated simple living and a connection to nature Believed every person should trust his or her inner truth—individual integrity is more important than laws or governments “Civil Disobedience” came out of this period Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau were the most well-known in this movement 7

Prominent American Romantic Writers Washington Irving Henry Wadsworth Longfellow Edgar Allan Poe 8