1. American Literature: 1820-1865 Examining an American Renaissance

2. An American Renaissance? Appreciation for American Literature Until 20 th century, most American universities did not teach the subject American literature seen as ‘beneath’ English literature F.O. Matthiessen’s American Renaissance: Art and Expression in the Age of Emerson and Whitman Emerson, Thoreau, Hawthorne, Melville, Whitman

3. Criticism & Growth Criticism of “American Renaissance”? Exclusion of certain groups Women, African Americans, immigrants Avoiding ‘popular’ writers New York & Massachusetts “Disguise it, struggle with it, beat it down, stifle it, mortify it as much as one pleases, it still alive, and will every now and then peep out and show itself”

4. A Little History… Post American Revolution Patriotic works begin emphasizing a separate national identity— “distinctively American works” War of 1812 What happened? Impact on American Literature? Andrew Jackson Backlash Skepticism of American culture Washington Irving

5. An Expanding Nation Issue with Copyright National copyright law not in place until 1790 But not until 1891 did US writers get international copyright protection and foreign writers receive similar protection in the US Pirated English writing… Impact on a writing ‘career’ Growth of America 1790 (four million); 1860 (thirty million) Increased urbanization Expansion of railroads, canals, other forms of transportation Expansion of US territories to the West

6. Reform and Conflict Theme of this period: Reform Antebellum writings focused on antislavery, temperance, women’s rights, and even nativist anti-Catholicism Emerson & reform “The American Scholar” Conviction that American literature and culture not living up to Revolutionary or democratic promises

7. Antebellum Themes Women’s Rights Elizabeth Cady Stanton’s “Declaration of Sentiments” Throughout the 19 th century, in most states, married woman had no legal rights to property or earnings within marriage Manifest Destiny Thoreau & Mexican-American War Emerson & Indians Slavery Melville: “man’s foulest crime” Thoreau: “Slavery in Massachusetts”

8. Civil War Initially, major writers of the period portrayed the war as a “holy war against slavery” US Exceptionalism What changed? Disillusionment Post-Civil War & Reconstruction Resurgence of segregationist practices Economic stratification