1. Romanticism
1.1. Writing included more fiction and poetry and fewer philosophical and political treatises. Literature was for entertainment, not just for political, religious or educational purposes.
1.1.1. Most important authors
1.1.1.1. Washington Irving
1.1.1.1.1. He was born on April 3, 1783 in Manhattan, New York, United States.
1.1.1.1.2. Writer
1.1.1.2. Edgar Allan Poe
1.1.1.2.1. He was born on January 19, 1809 in Boston, Massachusetts, United Stated.
1.1.1.2.2. Writer
1.1.1.3. Hernan Melville
1.1.1.3.1. He was born August 1, 1891 in New York, United Stated.
1.1.1.3.2. Writer
1.2. Romanticism is a philosophical reaction against the previous decades in which reason and rational thought dominated.
1.3. Writers celebrated individualism, nature, imagination, creativity, intuition, and strong emotions.
1.4. Blossoming of shot stories, novels and poetry that heavily use of symbolism.
2. Transcendentalism
2.1. Transcendentalism was an American Literary, philosophical, political and religious movement, originated in the early 19th century.
2.1.1. Most important authors
2.1.1.1. Walt Withman
2.1.1.1.1. He was born May 31, 1819 in West Hills, United States.
2.1.1.1.2. Poet
2.1.1.2. Margaret Fuller
2.1.1.2.1. She was born May 23, 1810 in Cambridgeport, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States.
2.1.1.2.2. Journalist
2.2. We can get in touch with God only through ourselves and it can’t be defined by logic.
2.3. Most importantly it helped common people to come out from slavery, female oppression and corruption.
2.4. The major idea behind this was that everybody can realize the true meaning of life through her/his own experiences.
3. Anti- Transcendentalism.
3.1. Most important authors
3.1.1. Hernan Melville
3.1.2. Nathaniel Howthorne
3.1.2.1. He was born July 4, 1804 in Salem, Massachusetts, United States.
3.1.2.1.1. Books
3.1.2.1.2. The scarlet letter (1850)
3.1.2.1.3. Twice- Old Tales (1837)
3.1.2.1.4. Tanglewood Tales
3.1.2.2. Novelist.
3.2. Man is born with original (without evil, selfishness, greed) and therefore struggles to be good, society keeps people from acting on that evil.
3.3. Man will fail at any attempt at perfection in this life because of his natural tendency to destroy.
3.4. Man needs other human beings to fulfill the need for human love and touch. Denial of this basic human need can only lead to evil and destruction.
4. Naturalism.
4.1. Naturalistic writers believed that the laws behind the forces that govern human live might be studied and understood.
4.1.1. Most important authors
4.1.1.1. Theodore Dreiser
4.1.1.1.1. He was born August 27, 1871 in Terre Haute, Indiana United States.
4.1.1.1.2. Novelist.
4.1.1.2. Jack London
4.1.1.2.1. Was born January 12, 1876 in San Francisco, California United States.
4.1.1.2.2. Writer
4.2. The dominant theme of naturalist literature is that persons are fated to whatever station in life their heredity, environment, and social conditions prepare them for.
5. Modernism.
5.1. Is characterized by a self-conscious break with traditional styles of poetry, verse and prose writing.
5.1.1. Most important authors
5.1.1.1. Robert Frost
5.1.1.1.1. Was born March 26, 1974 in San Francisco, California.
5.1.1.1.2. Poet
5.1.1.2. Ernest Hemingway
5.1.1.2.1. Was born July 21, 1899 in Oak Park, Illinois, United States.
5.1.1.2.2. Writer
5.2. Modernism experimented with literary from and expression adhering to Ezra pound’s maxim to “make it new”.
5.3. Many modernist writers also shared a mistrust of institutions of power such as government and religion, and rejected the notion of absolute truths.
6. Colonial period.
6.1. Newly arrived colonist, create villages and towns and establish new government while protesting the old ways in Europe.
6.1.1. Important writings
6.1.1.1. Jonathan Edward
6.1.1.1.1. He was born October 5, 1703 in East Windsor, Connecticut, United States.
6.2. These are people who were religiously oppressed by kings and queens who enforced their religious beliefs on to their people.
6.3. literature of the period dominated by the puritans and their religious influence with an emphasis on God and the need for faith in daily life.
6.4. writing is utilitarian and instructive: sermons, diaries, personal narratives. It was a Plan puritans style- simple, direct.
7. Age of reason
7.1. American have established cities and life is not as hard as it was for the puritans.
7.1.1. Age of reason belief
7.1.1.1. Though reason (logical thinking) human can become better people create good societies.
7.1.1.2. Don’t need old tradition and rules.
7.1.1.3. Human can end ignorance, superstition and evil.
7.1.2. Most important authors:
7.1.2.1. Abigail Adams
7.1.2.1.1. She was born November 22, she was John Adams Wife.
7.1.2.2. Benjamin Franklin
7.1.2.2.1. He was born January 17, 1706, Milk Street, Boston, Massachusetts, United States.
7.1.2.2.2. Politic
7.1.2.3. Thomas Paine
7.1.2.3.1. Was an English-born politician, writer, philosopher, radical intellectual, and revolutionary.
7.1.2.3.2. Politic
7.2. Most European-Americans are Christian Protestants who consider that they are in the age of reason.
7.3. Moderation
7.4. Writing is important.
7.5. They had some similarities to puritans: Beliefs in education and study for self improvement.
8. Realism.
8.1. Realism started around the start of the civil war. This is because people wanted to read stories that they could relate to, rather than the unrealistic stories of romanticism.
8.1.1. Most important authors
8.1.1.1. Mark Twain
8.1.1.1.1. He was born November 30, 1835 in Florida, Misuri, United States.
8.1.1.1.2. Writer
8.1.1.2. Bret Harte
8.1.1.2.1. He was born August 25, 1836 in Albany, New York.
8.2. Realism is writing that depicts a realistic everyday life of a an average middle class person. Characters and plots were often based around factual events nos people, and it aims to show a truthful representation ps reality.
9. Regionalism.
9.1. Regional literature is fiction and poetry that focuses on the characters, dialect, customs, topography, and other features particular to a specific region.
9.1.1. Most important authors
9.1.1.1. William Faulkner
9.1.1.1.1. He was born September 25, 1897 in New Albany, Mississippi.
9.1.1.2. Kate Chopin
9.1.1.2.1. Katherine O'Flaherty Faris, better known as Kate Chopin, was an American author of short stories and novels.
9.2. Literary critics argue that nineteenth-century literary regionalism helped preserve American regional identities while also contributing to domestic reunification efforts after the Civil War.
10. Contemporary
10.1. American modernism was short in length but had great impact on American postmodernism.
10.1.1. Most important authors
10.1.1.1. Joyce Carol Oates.
10.1.1.1.1. She was born June 16, 1938 in Lockport, New York.
10.1.1.1.2. Novelist
10.1.1.2. Stephen King
10.1.1.2.1. He was born in 1947, Portland, Maine, United States.
10.1.1.2.2. Writer