American Literary
Timeline





Colonial Period
Age of Reason
Romanticism
Transcendentalism
Anti-Transcendentalism





Realism
Naturalism
Regionalism
Modernism
Contemporary
Colonial Period
Early America-1776
This period was at the very beginnings of
America and it made way for the rest of the countries
literature. In the first stages of America there were writers,
such as Thomas Hariot, who wrote A Brief and True
Report of the New-Found Land of Virginia in 1588; in
which he described “The Americas” in words and picture.
The book was quickly translated into Latin, French, and
German; it was a window for the Old World to see an
embellished version of the New World.
Others that dominated this era were the Puritans
whose definition of good writing was writing that brought
home a full awareness of the importance of worshipping
God and of the spiritual dangers that the soul faced on
Earth, and the literature that was produced by the Puritans
reflected this.
Authors
of the
Colonial
Period
Edward Taylor
John Woolman
Anne Bradstreet
William Bradford
Age of Reason
Late 1770s to Early 1800s
This period was a time when authors were
focused more on their own reasoning rather than
simply taking what the church taught as fact.
During this period there was also cultivation of
patriotism. The main medium during that period
were political pamphlets, essays, travel writings,
speeches, and documents.
Also during this period many reforms were
either made or requested, for instance during this
time the Declaration of Independence was written.
Authors
of the
Age of
Reason
Abigail Adams
Benjamin Franklin
Thomas Jefferson
Thomas Paine
Romanticism
1800-1850
After the “Age of Reason” came to an end,
the people of America were tired of reality; they
wanted to see life as more than it was. This was the
Era of Romantics. The main medium that presented
itself at that time were short stories, poems, and
novels. During this era, as opposed to the “Age of
Reason,” the imagination dominated; intuition ruled
over fact, and there was a large emphasis on the
individual/common man and on nature or the natural
world.
Gothic literature was also introduced at this
time, which is a sub-genre of Romanticism. This genre
includes stories about characters that had both good
and evil traits. Gothic literature also incorporated the
use of supernatural elements.
Authors of
the
Romanticism
Washington Irving
Nathaniel Hawthorne
Edgar Allen Poe
Herman Melville
Transcendentalism
1840-1855
This movement pushed America from the
elaborate and fantasy writings displayed in the
period of Romanticism into a period of literature that
stressed individualism, nature, and self-reliance.
Often Transcendentalists used nature to gain
knowledge or to return to a life of self-reliance and
individualism. It also stressed the fundamental idea
of a unity between God and the world and that each
person was a microcosm of the world.
Unlike many European groups, the
Transcendentalists never issued a manifesto. They
insisted on the differences in each individual.
Authors of the
Transcendentalism
Ralph Waldo Emerson
Henry David Thoreau
Walt Whitman
[Sarah] Margaret Fuller
Anti-Transcendentalism
1840-1855
During the same time period when
Transcendentalism was taking place, its opposite,
Anti-Transcendentalism, was also happening. As
opposed to Transcendentalism, which focused on
the natural world and its relationship to humanity
and the quest for understanding of the human spirit,
Anti-Transcendentalism focused on the limitations
of mankind and its potential destructiveness of the
human spirit. For instance, water brings life, but its
excess, i.e. a flood, can bring death and destruction.
(Notice how they sometimes use nature in their
writings to reflect what goes on with humans.
Example: Scarlet Letter and the forest – reflects
Pearl’s wild nature, the only place Hester and
Dimmesdale can be free, etc.)
Authors of the
AntiTranscendentalism
Herman Melville
Nathaniel Hawthorne
Realism
1865-1915
This literary movement took place during the
Civil War. At a time when a war was taking place, people
were tired of Transcendentalism and AntiTranscendentalism. For one thing, they were both
extremes of the same spectrum; one was nice, happy, and
“frilly;” the other was dark and destructive. People
wanted to see things how they were, so Realism came
about.
Realism also came about as a reaction to
Romanticism, in which there were heroic characters and
adventures with strange and unfamiliar settings. In
response, Realism’s authors tried to write truthfully and
objectively about ordinary characters in ordinary
situations.
Authors of the
Realism
Mark Twain [Samuel Clemens]
Bret Harte
Sarah Orne Jewett
James Henry
Naturalism
1865-1915
The Naturalism literary movement that
took place in the late nineteenth and early
twentieth century tended to view people as
hapless victims of immutable natural laws.
Naturalism is closely related to Realism, only it
usually views the world in a darker perspective.
In Naturalism, it is widely shown that free will
is an illusion that things that happen in the
universe happen and could not happen any
other way.
Also a defining characteristic of
Naturalism is that its characters’ lives are
shaped by forces they cannot control.
Authors of the
Naturalism
Stephen Crane
Jack London
Theodore Dreiser
Frank Norris
Regionalism
1865-1915
Regionalism was a literary
movement in which authors would write a
story about specific geographical areas. By
writing about regions, the authors explore
the culture of that area, including its
languages, customs, beliefs, and history.
Not only did writers in this time try
to show the region they wrote about to their
readers, but they also made an attempt at a
sophisticated sociological or anthropological
treatment of the culture of the region.
Authors of the
Regionalism
Willa Cather
William Faulkner
Kate Chopin
Frank Norris
Modernism
1915-1946
This type of writing is one of the most
experimental types. Modernist authors used
fragments, stream of consciousness, and interior
dialogue. The main thing that authors were
trying to achieve with Modernism was a unique
style, one that they could stand out and be known
for its uniqueness.
During this period, technology was
taking incredible leaps. There were also two
world wars and destruction on a global scale.
The younger generation began to take over the
main stage.
Authors of the
Modernism
Ernest Hemingway
F. Scott Fitzgerald
John Steinbeck
Robert Frost
Contemporary
1946-present
In the years since the Modern period,
American authors have begun to write from a
plethora of genres. Many Americans simply
write in the style that suits them individually
rather than mimicking specific styles. There are
more different types of writing being done at
one time than at any other period in history:
fantasy, fiction, science fiction, horror, political
writings, romantics, plays, and poems, anything
and everything.
Authors of the
Contemporary
J. D. Salinger
Stephen King
Joyce Carol Oates
Robert Jordan
End of Power Point
• The following slides are accessible from the slides above
Edward Taylor
(c. 1644-1729)
• Taylor was a Minister who
studied at Harvard
College, and whose works
were never published by
Taylor, himself, until they
were discovered in 1930s.
He wrote such pieces as
Metrical History of
Christianity, which mainly
a history of Christian
martyrs.
Colonial Period
John Woolman (1720-1772)
• The best known work by a
Quaker was written by this
man, simply named
Journal in 1774, this
journal was a complete
and full account of his life
in a pure, heartfelt style of
great sweetness that have
attracted many American
and English writers for
many years after
Woolman had past away.
Colonial Period
Anne Bradstreet (c. 1612-1672)
• The first publication
of a book of poems in
America, was also the
first publication by a
woman in America.
She also wrote The
Tenth Muse Lately
Sprung Up in America
in 1650.
Colonial Period
William Bradford (1590-1657)
• He was elected governor
of Plymouth shortly after
the pilgrims landed in on
Plymouth Rock. He was
essentially the first
historian of the new
colonies. His participation
in the voyage of the
Mayflower and being
governor made him the
ideal person for this job.
He wrote Of Plymouth
Plantation in 1651.
Colonial Period
Abigail Adams (1744-1818)
• She wrote letters that
campaigned for women’s
rights. Her grandson,
Charles Francis Adams,
published The Familiar
Letters of John Adams and
His Wife Abigail During
the Revolution, which
were just what they said
they were, letters written
by Abigail and her
husband.
Age of Reason
Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790)
• Franklin is well known
worldwide for his
discoveries in the world of
science and also for works
that he contributed to,
such as the Declaration of
Independence, and his
theories on electricity.
His works were all new
ideas things people never
thought of before because
they always took what
they got as fact.
Age of Reason
Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826)
• Jefferson is bets know for
writing the Declaration of
Independence, the
document came about as a
response to these times,
people were thinking for
themselves, and one of the
major thing the Americans
discovered was that they
didn’t need England. So
Jefferson wrote the D of I
to formally state that.
Age of Reason
Thomas Paine (1737-1809)
• Paine wrote mostly
pamphlets that would spur
ideas and immediate
action. In the document
"The American Crisis,"
Paine wrote about the
oppression that America
suffered from Britain, and
propelled America into a
war with Britain. Paine,
to this day, is well known
for his propaganda.
Age of Reason
Washington Irving (1789-1851)
• Irving was the first
“famous” American
author; he’s also known as
the “Father of American
Literature.” He wrote
travel books, short stories,
and satires. Some of his
works include; Legend of
Sleepy Hollow, Rip Van
Winkle, and Devil and
Tom Walker.
Romanticism
Edgar Allen Poe (1809-1849)
• Poe had a bad childhood that
made him despise the world,
and his works reflected his
work. He is credited for
creating the modern short
story, and the detective
story. He also challenged
two long-standing theories,
one, a poem had to be long,
and two, a poem had to teach
you something. Some of his
works include, "The Raven",
"Bells", "Annabel Lee", and
"Dream."
Romanticism
Herman Melville (1819-1891)
• In his time Melville
was not entirely
recognized, however,
in the more recent
years he has been
considered one of the
most top rated novelist
of all time. He is most
well known for his
epic novel Moby Dick.
Romanticism
Anti-Transcendentalism
Ralph Waldo Emerson
(1803-1882)
• Emerson had a strong
sense of a religious
mission though he was
accused of subverting
Christianity. He left the
church saying, “to be a
good minister, it was
necessary to leave the
church.” Some of his
mayor works include
Nature, published in 1836.
Transcendentalism
Henry David Thoreau
(1817-1862)
• Thoreau Lived his life,
to do just that, live his
life. He was never
rich and for the most
part lived with little
money all his life. His
work he is most well
known for is Walden,
published in 1854.
Transcendentalism
Walt Whitman (1819-1892)
• Whiteman was born on Long
Island, and was, for most of his
job life, a carpenter; he was a
man of the people. Most of his
learning career was done on his
own, after he left school the age
of eleven. His major work was
entitled His Leaves of Grass,
published in 1855; over the
years he made many rewrites
for this book. Some of his
famous poems are, "Crossing
Brooklyn Ferry," "Out of the
Cradle Endlessly Rocking," and
"When Lilacs Last in the
Dooryard Bloom'd."
Transcendentalism
[Sarah] Margaret Fuller
(1810-1850)
•
Fuller was born in Cambridgeport,
Massachusetts. She learned Greek and
Latin at a very young age, and later
learned German and Italian. After her
father, a congressman, died she
became a schoolteacher. She worked
with Ralph Emerson as editors of The
Dial, a literary and philosophical
journal, for which she wrote many
articles including “The Great Lawsuit.
Man versus Woman, Woman versus
Man;” in which she spoke for the
equality of men and women. Some of
her other works include Summer on
the Lakes, published in 1844, and
Women in the Women in the
Nineteenth Century, published in
1845.
Transcendentalism
Nathaniel Hawthorne
(1804-1864)
• Hawthorne was a Puritan
who utilized his writings
to express his dark, and
gloomy outlook on life.
Some of his works
include; Twice Told Tales,
published in 1837; The
Scarlet Letter, published
in 1850; and The House of
the Seven Gables,
published in 1851.
Anti-Transcendentalism
Romanticism
Mark Twain [Samuel Clemens]
(1835-1910)
• Twain is known by many
as the greatest American
humorist and one of our
greatest novelists. He was
known for using
vernacular, exaggeration,
and deadpan narrator to
create humor. Twain
wrote many great novels
including, the Adventures
of Tom Sawyer, published
in 1876; and The Prince
and the Pauper, published
in 1881.
Realism
Bret Harte (1836-1902)
•
Harte was born in New York, and later
worked in California, on The California
writing stories. He worked with other
well-known authors as well, while at
The California, authors like Mark
Twain, Charles Warren Stoddard, and
Prentice Mulford. He was later
appointed Secretary of the United States
Branch Mint at San Francisco; he held
this office until 1870. He then became
the editor of Overland Monthly, where
he published "The Luck of Roaring
Camp," which brought him instant fame.
Some of his works included; "The
Heathen Chinese,” a poem published in
1870, Devil's Ford, "The Twins of Table
Mountain," "By Shore and Sedge," and
"A Millionaire of Rough and Ready."
Realism
Sarah Orne Jewett (1849-1909)
• Jewett grew up with books all
around her, it was only fitting
she grow up to be a writer.
The early years of her life
were much like the story she
wrote in A Country Doctor.
Some of her works include;
Miss Tempy's Watchers,
originally published in 1888;
The Dulham Ladies,
originally published in 1886;
A White Heron, originally
published in 1886.
Realism
James Henry (1843-1916 )
• His father was an important
theorist and lecturer, and his
older brother was a famous
American philosopher,
William James. He attended
Harvard College. His early
stories depict the leisurely life
of the well-to-do. In his time
he wrote many short stories
including; “The Short Story of
a Year,” published in 1865;
“Gabrielle de Bergerac,”
published in 1869; and
“Guest's Confession.”
Realism
Stephen Crane (1871-1900)
• Crane’s writing was known
for attacking patriotism,
individualism, and organized
religion; it also confronted the
meaninglessness of the world.
His work was also very well
known for its imagery and
symbolism. The work he is
most famous for Red Badge
of Courage, which was set in
the Civil War. Some of his
other works include; The
Open Boat, published in 1894;
“An Episode of War,”
originally published in 1890.
Naturalism
Jack London (1876-1916)
• London was born in San
Francisco, California; he lived a
hard life, switching from job to
job for whatever money he
could get, after his father
abandoned him at a young age.
He is one of the most highly
acclaimed writers of all time;
his stories of life and death
struggles are vivid and
engaging. Some of his works
include; The Call of the Wild,
published in 1903; White Fang,
published in 1906; “Lost Face,”
published in 1910; and “The
Night Born,” published in 1913.
Naturalism
Theodore Dreiser (1871-1945)
• One of Dreiser's favorite
fictional devices was the use
of contrast between the rich
and the poor, the urbane and
the unsophisticated, and the
power brokers and the
helpless. Some of his works
include; Twelve Men,
published in 1919; A Book
About Myself, published in
1922; The Color of a Great
City, published in 1923; An
American Tragedy, published
in 1925.
Naturalism
Frank Norris (1870-1902)
• Norris studied in Paris, at
the Univ. of California,
and Harvard. He also
spent several years as a
war correspondent in
South Africa (1895-96)
and Cuba (1898). Some
of his works include; The
Responsibilities of the
Novelist, published in
1903; The Octopus,
published in 1901; and
The Pit published in 1903.
Naturalism
Willa Cather (1873-1947)
• Cather has been called, one of
the most interesting female
writers in American literary
history. She was a teacher, a
journalist and a critic as well
as a writer. She has a talent
for presenting settings, and
characters that are rich in
language and imagery. She
also won a Pulitzer Prize.
Some of her works include;
April Twilights, published in
1903; and O Pioneers!,
published in 1913.
Regionalism
William Faulkner (1897-1962)
• He served in both the
Canadian and the British
Royal Air Force. He
wrote most of his novel on
a farm in Oxford,
Mississippi. Some of his
novels included; The
Hamlet, published in
1940; The Town,
published in 1957; and
The Mansion, published in
1959.
Regionalism
Kate Chopin (1851-1904)
• Chopin loved literature as
a child, and secluded
herself in it after her
grandmothers death. She
never achieved much until
1884 when she finally
decided to pursue a career
in writing. Some of her
writing included;
"Desiree’s Baby,"
published in 1893; "The
Awakening," published in
1899.
Regionalism
Ernest Hemingway (1899-1961)
• Hemingway won a Pulitzer
Prize and Noble Peace Price for
Literature. He used concise,
direct, spare, objective, precise,
rhythmic writing styles to create
larger than life heroes, big game
hunters, etc. Some of his works
include; The Sun Also Rises,
published in 1922; A Farewell
To Arms published in 1929; For
Whom the Bell Tolls, published
in 1940.
Modernism
F. Scott Fitzgerald (1896-1940)
• Fitzgerald wrote about the
times. In his novel The
Great Gatsby, published in
1925, he wrote about the
roaring twenties, a time
when no one cared about
the future and they had
fun with what they had
then. Some of his other
works include; The Side
of Paradise, published in
1920; and The Beautiful
and the Damned,
published in 1922.
Modernism
John Steinbeck (1902-1968)
• Steinbeck wrote about the both
the pains and joys of life. The
Grapes of Wraith, published in
1939, his most well known
work told the story of families
ring to survive and stay together
during the depression. In other
works like Tortilla Flat,
published in 1935, Steinbeck
wrote about the joys of life.
Some of his other works
include; East of Eden,
published in 1952; Of Mice and
Men, published in 1937; and
The Pearl, published in 1947.
Modernism
Robert Frost (1874-1963)
• America’s best known and
most loved poet, Frost
wrote his poems in a
traditional verse form. He
used the plain speech of
rural New Englanders.
Some of his works
include; “Death of the
Hired Man,” published in
1951; “Birches,”
published in1920; and
“The Road Not Taken,”
published in 1920.
Modernism
J. D. Salinger (b.1919)
• Salinger studied at NYU, and
Columbia University. After
which he decided to devote his
life to his writing. His writing
career was interrupted by World
War I, where he served in the
U.S. Army. His most well
known work was his novel
Catcher in the Rye, published in
1951, a novel about a high
school student who tries to run
away from his life that he thinks
is “phony.” Some of his works
are A Perfect Day for
Bananafish published in 1948;
For Esmé With Love and
Squalor, published in 1950.
Contemporary
Stephen King (b.1947)
• King write novels that
frighten people. Some
of his major works
are; Carrie published
in 1974; The Shining,
publishing in 1998;
Salem's Lot, published
in 1993; and The
Stand, published in
1991.
Contemporary
Joyce Carol Oates (b.1938)
• Oates received a type
writer at the age of
fourteen and trained
herself to write novel after
novel through high school
and college. She earned
an M.A. in English at the
University of Wisconsin.
Some of her works
include; Blonde, published
in 2000; Wonderland,
published in 1971; and
The Tattooed Girl,
published in 2003.
Contemporary
Robert Jordan (b.1948)• He went to the Citadel, the
Military College of South
Carolina, where he received a
degree in physics. Jordan’s
main area of expertise is in the
genre of fantasy. He is
currently in the process of
writing a series of novel entitled
The Wheel of Time, some of the
novels from this series are, The
Eye of the World, published in
1990; Crossroads of Twilight,
published in 2003; and The
Novel: New Spring published
in 2004.
Contemporary