American Romanticism Lit book pg. 304

Historical Context Westward Expansion: – 1803: The Louisiana Purchase doubled the size of the country – Manifest Destiny: the idea that it was the destiny of the United States to expand to the Pacific Ocean and down into Mexico – Many Americans (such as Thoreau) found the Mexican-American War immoral, as it would expand slave- holding states Growth of Industry: – Industrial Revolution changed the country from agrarian (farming-based) to an industrial nation – Writers responded to the negative effects of industrialization

Cultural Influences and Ideas The Tragedy of Slavery: – Rise in production of cotton meant more demand for slaves in the South – Life in slavery was brutal and often inescapable Call for Social Reform – Rise of abolitionist movements and writers (fiction, nonfiction, and poetry) – Americans began to fight for the rights of other groups, such as workers and women Nationalism vs. Sectionalism – Nationalism: the belief that national interests should be placed ahead of regional concerns – Sectionalism: placing the interests of one’s own region ahead of the nation as a whole – Factions in the United States were split over issues such as slavery and economic issues

1. Early Romantic Literature: First emerged in Europe Inspired by the beauty of nature Emphasized emotions and imagination over reason (anti-rationalists) Celebrated the individual spirit Some had fascination with the supernatural William Cullen Bryant, Washington Irving, James Fenimore Cooper

Romanticism was seen as a Journey Away from civilization and back to nature Away from corruption and back to innocence and youth Away from industrialization and back to intuition and emotion Away from rationalization and back to imagination Away from science and back to poetry

2. The Fireside Poets Read aloud for family entertainment First time American poetry seen as equal to English Mimicked European styles, themes, meter, imagery Subjects include love, patriotism, nature, family, God/religion Fireside Poets also introduced new subjects: American landscapes, abolitionist issues, women’s rights, American Indian culture Championed the common person (reflected the movement of government in the time period) Focused on moral issues and themes; committed to social reform Longfellow, Lowell, Holmes, Whittier

Emerson Thoreau 3. Transcendentalists Ralph Waldo Emerson & Henry David Thoreau Also inspired by European ideas Emphasized living a simple life Stressed close relationship with nature Celebrated emotions and imagination Stressed individualism and self-reliance Believed intuition lead to knowledge Inherent goodness in people (optimism!) Spiritual well-being over financial well-being Each person is part of the Divine Soul

4. American Gothic “Anti-transcendentalists”: Nathaniel Hawthorne, Herman Melville, Edgar Allan Poe Did not believe in the innate goodness of people (pessimistic) Explored the human capacity for evil Probed inner life of the characters and explored their motivations Agreed with Romantic emphasis on emotion, nature, and the individual Elements of fantasy and the supernatural; gothic elements of grotesque characters, bizarre situations, and violent events