By Mark Mara And Tessie Laroa

Periods of American Literature

1. 1607-1776 // Colonial Period

The Colonial Period of American Literature

spans the time between the founding of the first settlement at Jamestown to the outbreak of the Revolution. The writings of this time centered on religious, practical, or historical themes.

2. 1765-1790 // Revolutionary Age

During the Revolutionary Age, 1765-1790, some

of the greatest documents of American history were authored. In 1776, Thomas Paine authored Common Sense and Thomas Jefferson wrote The Declaration of Independence. In 1781, The Articles of Confederation were ratified. Between 1787 and 1788, Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay wrote The Federalist Papers. Finally, in 1787, The Constitution of the United States was drafted and in 1789 it was ratified.

3. 1775-1828 // Early National Period

The

Early National Period of American Literature saw the beginnings of literature that could be truly identified as "American". The writers of this new American literature wrote in the English style, but the settings, themes, and characters were authentically American. In addition, poets of this time wrote poetry that was relatively independent of English precursors.

4. 1882-1865 // Romantic Period aka American Renaissance aka Age of Transcendentalism

The period 1828-1865 in American Literature is

commonly identified as the Romantic Period in America, but may also be referred to as the American Renaissance or the Age of Transcendentalism. The writers of this period produced works of originality and excellence that helped shape the ideas, ideals, and literary aims of many American writers.

5. 1865-1900 // Realistic Period

Following the Civil War, American Literature entered into the Realistic Period. The major form of literature produced in this era was realistic fiction. Unlike romantic fiction, realistic fiction aims to represent life as it really is and make the reader believe that the characters actually might exist and the situations might actually happen. In order to have this effect on the reader, realistic fiction focuses on the ordinary and commonplace.

6. 1900-1914 // Naturalistic Period

The years 1900-1914 mark American Literature's Naturalistic Period. Naturalism claims to give an even more accurate depiction of life than realism. In accordance with a post-Darwinian thesis, naturalistic writers hold that the characters of their works are merely higher-order animals whose character and behavior is entirely based upon heredity and environment. Naturalistic writings try to present subjects with scientific objectivity. These writings are often frank, crude, and tragic.

7. 1914-1939 // American Modernist Period

Between 1914 and 1939, American Literature entered into a phase which is still referred to as

"The Beginnings of Modern Literature". Like their British counterparts, the American Modernists experimented with subject matter, form, and style and produced achievements in all literary genres.

 The American Modernist Period also produced many other writers that are considered to be writers of Modernist Period Subclasses.

The Great Depression marked the end of the American Modernist Period, and writers dealt with the social and political issues of the time in their literary works.

8. 1939-2000 // The Contemporary Period

1939

marked the beginning of the Contemporary Period of American Literature. This period includes an abundance of important American literary figures spanning from World War II into the New Millennium.

 During

the 1950s, a vigorous antiestablishment, and anti-traditional literary movement emerged. The main writers of this movement are called Beat Writers.

Much writing of the 1960s and 1970s,

referred to as Counterculture Writing, continued the literary ideals of the Beat Movement, but in a more extreme and fevered manner.

9. 1950-2000 // Ethnic Literature

Currently,

the contemporary American literary scene is crowded and varied. With the passage of time the Contemporary Period may be reorganized and/or expanded.

Specific Cultural Groups in American Literature

a. African Americans
Individuals of African origin comprise approximately 14% of the population in the United States. The term African American refers to

individuals who are residents of the U.S.A., usually raised here, who are of African ancestry, whereas the term Black is more general and can refer to anyone of African ancestry, including recent immigrants.

History & Background Notable Events Culture & Traditions

b. American Asians & Asians

American Asians comprise one of the fastest

growing groups in North America. They are highly diverse, including dozens of ethnicities and languages: individuals from Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Indonesian, Laotion, Philippine, Thai, and Vietnamese ancestry.

History & Background Notable Events Culture & Traditions

c. Pacific Islanders
Pacific Islanders encompass a wide range of cultural

groups and nationalities from Polynesia, Melanesia, and Micronesia in the Pacific Ocean. Polynesia consists of several groups of islands forming a triangle including Hawaii, the Easter Islands, and New Zealand. Melanesia includes Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu Islands, and New Caledonia. Micronesia is divided into eight territories which include Guam, Diribate, and the Marshall Islands.

History & Background Notable Events Culture & Traditions

d. Native Americans
Native Americans, the indigenous peoples of the United States, currently comprise 1% of the population. The culture and traditions of Native

Americans have been a source of support and healing in contemporary society, and educators will benefit from understanding the unique backgrounds and heritages of their Native American students.

History & Background Notable Events Culture & Traditions

e. Hispanic & Latino Americans

Over 36% of Latinos living in the United States are under

the age of 18. Although many children adapt to new environments more easily than adults, they experience difficulties from multiple pressures. Knowledge of acculturation processes and dilemmas are therefore essential to working with children who have relocated recently. Useful information includes familiarity with concepts of familismo (close family ties), personalismo (people-centered living), and simpata (easy going, pleasant personal qualities).

History & Background Notable Events Culture & Traditions

AMERICAN CUSTOMS, HABITS & TRADITIONS

 Meeting someone

Speaking on the telephone

Eating out Tipping

Smoking
Friendship

 Language
Religion American style American food Arts

Sports
American holidays

FAMOUS AMERICAN AUTHORS/WRITERS

1. Ernest Hemingway (1899-1961)

Born in Oak Park, Illinois, Ernest Hemingway

dreamed of adventure ever since a very young age. After high school, he tried to enlist in the Army to fight in World War I but had to settle for being an ambulance driver on account of a defective eye. He later kept busy with war correspondence in the Spanish Civil War and World War II, bullfighting in Spain, and deep-sea fishing off Cuba. In between those thrill-seeking activities, Hemingway wrote the novels that would make him a legend.

2. Edgar Allan Poe (1809-1849)

This Boston native grew up in Richmond, Virginia,

with his wealthy foster parents, the Allans. But upon reaching his teens, Poe and the Allans grew apart, apparently due to his passion for writing. Penniless, Poe published some poems after having joined the Army. A sergeant major, and the author of classics such as The Murders in the Rue Morgue and The Man That Was Used Up , Poe was accepted to West Point; but decided to leave the military for Baltimore, where he started contributing to magazines.

3. Mark Twain (1835-1910)

Samuel Langhorne Clemens is the name on Twain's

birth certificate, while his date of birth reads November 30th. While growing up in Florida, Missouri, he was offered a writing job at a young age; but after being disappointed by the work, decided to become a steamboat captain instead. Following a miserable bout in the Confederate Army, he took up humorous writing once more, this time using the pseudonym "Mark Twain," a nautical term.

4. William Faulkner (1897-1962)

Faulkner was fortunate enough to have parents who

encouraged their children to read. Still, young William dropped out of high school during his sophomore year to write poetry. When his high school sweetheart married another man, he fled Mississippi and joined the British Royal Flying Corps in Canada, although he never got to fight in World War I. Back from the military, a friend funded the publication of his book of poems and he published a novel two years later.

5. Walt Whitman (1819-1892)

Upon studying his biography, it doesn't seem like

Walter Whitman was destined to become one of the most celebrated American poets in history. After minimal schooling, he studied the printing trade, became a schoolteacher, and finally founded a weekly newspaper in his Long Island domicile -- all before the age of 20. He later worked as a journalist for a number of different newspapers throughout the country.

6. John Steinbeck (1902-1968)

It's in Salinas, California, that John Steinbeck was

born. He attended Stanford University on and off in the '20s without ever graduating. A number of menial jobs such as rancher, farmhand, and factory worker supported him while he wrote his early novels. He published his most celebrated works, including Of Mice and Men and the Pulitzer Prize-winning The Grapes of Wrath , in the late 1930s.

7. F. Scott Fitzgerald (1896-1940)

Francis Scott Key Fitzgerald lived the kind of life he

wrote about. He was born into a haughty family, which had fallen onto some hard times. Nevertheless, he managed to attend Princeton University but left before graduation to join the Army. He wrote his first novel, the autobiographical This Side of Paradise , in 1920 to make money to win the heart of his beloved Zelda; it worked and they got married. During this Jazz Age, the newlyweds lived a highly social life, attending upper-crust parties and drinking constantly.

8. Jack Kerouac (1922-1969)

Jean-Louis Kerouac was born to French Canadian

parents who had gone to Lowell, Massachusetts, in search of better living conditions. He studied briefly at Columbia University but soon left to pursue adventures in the Merchant Marines and then the U.S. Navy. Later, he traveled across North America, holding odd jobs.

9. Tennessee Williams (1911-1983)

Thomas "Tennessee" Lanier Williams was born in

Columbus, Mississippi, to a family full of problems. In addition to his father's abusive behavior and his sister Rose's schizophrenia, young Thomas was often ridiculed for being effeminate, so he pretty much kept to himself while growing up. He escaped solitude by writing and drinking, and became a professional playwright in 1939 when literary agent Audrey Wood took him under her wing.

10. Frederick Douglass (1818-1895)

The African-American father of the civil rights movement

was born Frederick Augustus Washington Bailey, in Maryland. His mother being a slave, he had no choice but to become one himself. He worked hard on the plantation and lived amidst constant cruelty. At the age of 7, he was sent to live with one of his master's relatives in Baltimore. Mrs. Auld was kind to him and taught the child how to read and write, until her husband put a stop to it. When he reached 20 years of age, he managed to escape to New York and started attending abolitionist rallies.

Top 10 Books of All Time

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3.
4. 5.

6.
7. 8. 9. 10.

Anna Karenina Madame Bovary War and Peace Lolita The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn Hamlet The Great Gatsby In Search of Lost Time The Stories of Anton Chekhov Middlemarch