American Literature
• Many American literary figures
developed a unique “American”
literary style while others continued
the British literary tradition.
• American literature of the 19th
century (Romanticism)reflected
nationalistic feelings and set the
precedent for defining truly American
literature in the future.
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Noah Webster
•Went to Yale but his family could not afford to go to
law school after for money became a school teacher
•Did not like the way American schools were run (to
many kids, bad books etc.)
•These books were from England and Webster
thought the children should learn American English
A Grammatical Institute of the English Language:
•divided into 3 parts: speller, reader, grammer
•This textbook was used for over 100 years and over
a million books were sold per year throughout
America
•Now future generations of Americans would speak
Webster’s American English
Quic kT i me™ and a
T IFF (Unc ompres s ed) dec ompres s or
are needed t o s ee thi s pi c ture.
Webster’s Dictionary
Quic kT i me™ and a
T IFF (Unc ompres s ed) dec ompres s or
are needed t o s ee thi s pi c ture.
• 1828 he published a dictionary
• since free from Britain should be free from their
language (war 1812)
• People would misunderstand and argue with each
other about the spelling or pronunciation of words
• “Theatre” to “Theater”
• Not taken seriously
• Webster wanted to make all aspects of life
American
• More anti-English than Nationalist
• Help promote National Character
William Cullen Bryant
the Poet
• Poems Illustrate romantic qualities
(like England).
• Was a major fan of the Romantic
Poetry that was coming out of Great
Britain at the time.
• Once considered the greatest poet
in America
• Audiences were shocked that
William Cullen Bryant, an
American, could write such
beautiful poetry.
• Boosted American Pride
William Cullen Bryant
the Newspaper Editor
• Expressed human rights, free trade, and antislavery views in his Newspaper.
• Was EXTREMEMLY anti-slavery
• Switched parties from Democrat to Republican in
the forties because the Democrats were too proslavery.
• Expressed liberal American ideology through his
newspaper.
Ralph Waldo Emerson
(1803 – 1882)
• Famous Works include:
•
•
•
•
“American Scholar” (Address)
Nature (collection of essays)
“Divinity School Address”
Representative Men (collection of
essays)
• Themes mainly involved selfreliance and individualism
• Best-known for his contributions to
Transcendentalist movement
Ralph Waldo Emerson
•Lived during time of massive westward
expansion and pre-civil war conflicts
•Transcendentalism a social reform,
religious, economic, and political movement
revolving around American culture
John Greenleaf Whittier
• Was born on Dec 17, 1807 in Haverhill,
Massachusetts
• Was the son of a Quaker
• Was not formally educated to a high degree
(family was in farming), yet took a liking to
literature
• Was the 2nd out of 4 children
• At the age of 19, his work entitled The Exile's
Departure was accepted by William Lloyd
Garrison
Main Works
• From 1831 (Legends of New England in Prose
and Verse) up until the civil war, almost all of
his works would focus on his abolitionist cause
• In 1833, Whittier attends the first Anti Slavery
Convention in Pennsylvania Hall, Philadelphia
• Founds the antislavery Liberty party in 1840
• After the Civil War (1866), Whittier publishes his
best selling work, Snow-Bound, which sells
20,000 copies
Conclusion
Although literary trends fluctuated
throughout time depending on the needs
of the era, American literature helped to
define American culture and reflected a
sense of nationalism.
Bibliography
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