Historical Context
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ANNOTATED TIMELINE OF AMERICAN LITERATURE Miss Gruver Native American Experience Timeline- 1200 BC- 1600 Tribes Sioux Okanogan Iroquois Kiowa Events 1200 BC- 1600Native American culture flourishes 1492Christopher Columbus lands in the Bahamas Native American Experience Historical and Cultural Context Our American identity as we know it is a product of our past. Our class will focus on literature which reveals how we arrived at our society and culture today. We study Native American literature out of a respect for the indigenous cultures who were here before the European explorers as well as a respect for their cultural and literary influence throughout the years. Native American Experience Storytelling & Oral Tradition Long before European explorers came to North America, Native Americans had a rich literary tradition of their own. Their stories, histories, and legends were shared and preserved through oral tradition. The storyteller is one whose spirit is indispensable to the people. Puritan Age/Colonial Period Timeline- 1600-1750 Authors William Bradford Anne Bradstreet Edward Taylor Events 1607British settlers establish colony in Jamestown, Virginia 1692Witch trials take place in Salem, Massachussetts Puritan Age Colonial Genre/Style Sermons, religious tracts, diaries, personal narratives, religious poems. It was written in plain style. Effect/Aspects Instructive, reinforces authority of the Bible and the church. Very little imaginative literature was produced. Historical Context Puritan settlers fled England where they were being persecuted for their religious beliefs, and came to New England to have religious freedom. Revolutionary Period/Age of Reason Timeline- 1750-1800 Authors Ben Franklin Thomas Jefferson Patrick Henry Events 1776American colonies declare independence 1788U.S. Constitution is ratified Revolutionary Period/Age of Reason Genre/Style Political Pamphlets, Travel Writing, and highly ornate persuasive writing. Effect/Aspects Patriotism and pride grows, creates unity about issues, and creates American character. Historical Context Encouraged Revolutionary War support. Romanticism/American Gothic Timeline- 1800-1855 Authors Henry Wadsworth Longfellow Edgar Allen Poe Events 1803LA purchase doubles the countries size 1808United States bans slave trade 1812War of 1812 spurs on the Industrial Revolution Romanticism/American Gothic Genre/Style Character Sketches, Slave Narratives, Poetry, and short stories. Effect/Aspects Integrity of nature and freedom of imagination. Historical Context Publishing ideas. expands and industrial revolution brings new Transcendentalism Timeline- 1840-1860 Authors Ralph Waldo Emerson Henry David Thoreau Margaret Fuller Events 1846Mexican American War begins. 1848Gold discoveries lead to the first gold rush. 1857Supreme Court’s Dred Scott decision denies slaves basic rights. Transcendentalism Genre/Style Effect/Aspects Poetry, Short Stories, and Novels. Idealists, individualism, and symbolism. Historical Context Economic downturns .During this time of instability, transcendentalism appealed to audiences A belief in a higher reality than that achieved by human reasoning. Suggests that every individual is capable of discovering this higher truth through intuition Realism Timeline- 1855-1900 Authors Stephen Crane Ambrose Bierce Events 1861-1865 North and South fight in Civil War. 1865 13th Amendment abolishes slavery. 1879Thomas Edison invents the light bulb. Realism Genre/Style Novels, Short Stories, Objective Narrator, and does not tell reader how to interpret the story. Effect/Aspects Social and Aesthetic realism. Historical Context Civil War brought demand for a more true type of literature. Regionalism/Naturalism Timeline- 1870-1910 Authors Mark Twain Willa Cather Jack London Events 1889 Oklahoma is opened foe settlement, triggering a land rush. 1903 Wright brothers achieve the first airplane flight. Regionalism/Naturalism Genre/Style Poetry, Short Stories, and Novels. Effect/Aspects Emphasis on development of believable characters. Written in natural vernacular, or dialect Historical Context: The urbanization and industrialization of America; Increasing rates of democracy and literacy; The emerging middle class; Upheaval and social change in the latter half of the 19th century Modernism Timeline- 1910-1945 Authors T.S. Elliot Ernest Hemingway Ezra Pound Events 1917 United States enters World War I 1920 19th Amendment is passed, giving the women the right to vote. Modernism Genre/Style Novels, Plays, Poetry, experiments in writing styles, interior monologue, and stream of consciousness. Effect/Aspects Pursuit of American Dream, Admiration for America, Optimism, and Individual Importance. Historical Context Writers reflected the ideas of Darwin and Karl Marx, during WWI and WWII. Harlem Renaissance Timeline- 1920-1930 Authors Langston Hughes Zora Neale Hurston Countee Cullen Events 1919 Race riots erupt in 25 American cities 1929 The Wall Street stock market crashes and the Great Depression begins. Harlem Renaissance Genre/Style Blues Song in Poetry and African American Spirituals. Effect/Aspects Brought about Gospel Music. Historical Context Mass African American Migration to Northern Urban Centers. African Americans are given more access to media and publishing. Contemporary Literature Timeline- 1940- Present Authors Kurt Vonnegut Jr. John Steinbeck Amy Tan Events 1941 Attack on Pearl Harbor brings the U.S. into World War II 1965 U.S. enters Vietnam War. 2001 Terrorists attack U.S. cities. 2009 Barack Obama becomes the first African American U.S. president Contemporary Literature Genre/Style Narrative, fiction, nonfiction, anti heroes, emotional, irony, storytelling, autobiographical, and essays. Effect/Aspects Shift in emphasis from homogeneity to celebrating diversity. Historical Context New century, new millennium.
