Louisiana Purchase Lewis and Clark Expedition “The Star Spangled Banner” Railroad Expansion Abolitionist Movement

Romanticism: 1800-1840

Romanticism: 1800-1840

Quest for the distinct American Literature Reading for entertainment

Short stories, novels, poetry (mostly fiction) Vivid details

Imagination and fantasy over reason and fact

Respected nature and its power Accented the mysterious, strange,

fantastic aspects of the human experience

Romanticism

Gothic Writing: A type of romanticism writing Usually has dark and gloomy settings Typically there is an element of the

supernatural Writers try to evoke the feeling of fear from

the reader

Gothic Writing Setting:

Large house or castle with vast land There always seems to be a body of water Gothic architecture (dim lighting, high ceilings)

Gothic Formula Mental disease or physical ailment creating pain

and agony in one or more characters A character or element in the story foreshadows

the future One or more death (usually a mysterious death) Haunting One character lives to tell the story Main author is Edgar Allan Poe

1783-1859 Born to a wealthy family Father of American Literature Grew up in Manhattan, New

York. He was named after George

Washington, who was considered a hero after the American Revolution.

Pseudonyms: Jonathan Oldstyle, Diedrich Knickerbocker, Geoffrey Crayon

“The Devil and Tom Walker” & “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow”

Washington Irving

“The Devil and Tom Walker”

Irony Folk Tale Stereotype Satire

Place: Tarrytown, New York is a small town in the mainland part of New York.

The area became a haven for Dutch settlers.

Fun Fact: In 1997, Tarrytown changed its name to Sleepy Hollow, New York. Their high school team is called The Horsemen

“The Legend of Sleepy Hollow”

Sleepy Hollow, New York

The time period is around 1790 (not quite a generation after the American Revolution).

Many of the older men in Tarry Town would have been Revolutionary War soldiers.

“The Legend of Sleepy Hollow”

During the American Revolution, Great Britain decided it would be cheaper to hire/rent soldiers (mercenaries) to fight for Britain rather than pay to train their own men- they hired Hessians from Northern Germany.

German Hessians made up ¼ of the total forces sent to America to fight the rebels.

Most Hessians were unhappy being sent to America because they were paid very little.

Some Hessians were prisoners who were forced into fighting for a country that they weren’t even a part of.

Hessians tended to be very loyal countrymen, so they were very willing to fight against a group of people who were rebelling against their home country (Colonists vs. Britain).

Hessian Background Information

James Fenimore Cooper

1789-1851 Born to a wealthy family First successful American novelist Creator of the adventure tale

Brave, faultless hero Loyal companion Encounter with danger Physical danger tests the hero’s skill, expertise, or bravery A nick-of-time rescue

Focus on the natural man in the wilderness “A Rescue” from The Deerslayer The Last of the Mohicans

Edgar Allan Poe 1809-1849 Born in Boston. Both of Poe’s

parents died when he was almost 2 years old. He is adopted by John Allan.

Fights with Mr. Allan about his future and ends up leaving the house

He becomes engaged to a woman while in college, but while he is away, she gets married to someone else.

More on Edgar Allan Poe

He moves in with his aunt, Maria Clemm (acts like a mother towards him

Her daughter (his cousin) becomes the object of his desire.

In 1835 he marries his then 13-year-old cousin, Virginia Clemm. She dies 2 years later of tuberculosis.

Virginia Clemm

More on Edgar Allan Poe

In the 1830s he published several works, but he didn’t earn enough money to sustain himself.

“The Raven” (1845) earned him great reviews, but he still lived in poverty.

Suffered from depression and madness Mysterious death Legacy: Inventor of the detective story and

psychological thrillers Edgar Award for mystery writing

“The Fall of the House of Usher”

How does this picture represent the Romantic style?

Supernatural- how does the house finally fall?

Poetry “The Raven”-

most popular poem

“Anabel Lee”