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1500
Native American Literature & Folklore
Native Americans orally passed down stories from generation to generation. These stories tended to make use of metaphors.
Native American Literature also isn't human-dominated, meaning humans and animals are interchangeable. Native American stories are cyclical in nature. Within this "cycle" you have birth, death, rebirth, and changing seasons that repeat year after year. -
Period: 1500 to
Native American Literature & Folklore
The Native Americans were on American soil way before the Europeans came to think about settling and exploring the world. They valued nature and giving back to land as well as respecting each other as a tribe. -
1550
"The Sky Tee"
“The Sky Tree” is a Huron creation myth. The myth is cyclical, meaning it starts with death and then by the end, there is a rebirth of the sky tree, which helps create the earth. The rooting of "The Sky Tree" symbolizes rebirth and the creation of new life. The Sky tree is the tree of life, therefore when the tree fell from out of the sky and grounded its roots into the soil on the turtle's back, it’s the start and creation of new life on a new, different ground. -
1560
“The World on the Turtle’s Back”
“The World on the Turtle’s Back” talks about how a pregnant woman falls through a hole in the sky with a small piece of bark from the tree of life still in her hand. A sea turtle and a group of other sea creatures notice her falling and work together to get her safe. She then plants the little bit of bark from the tree of life on the turtles back and creates life herself on what we call today Earth. -
1570
"Coyote and the Buffalo"
“Coyote and the Buffalo” teaches a great lesson. The story focuses on the importance of behaving honorably and implies that there are consequences to greed and narcissism. The coyote's disrespect for the lives of others, in this case the Bull Buffalo, almost costs him his own life, while his greed, the young cow, causes the death of another. -
Birth of Anne Bradstreet
Anne Bradstreet was technically the first notable American poet, man, or woman. Because Puritan women weren't allowed to expand their knowledge or express their own ideas, she is known as a very remarkable person. -
The American Invasion
Puritan settlers arrived in the Americas and believed in “owning” the land. The Puritans forced some Native Americans into slavery and required them to build their homes, cook for them and more. They called the Native American’s “savages” because they thought they were uncivilized so, the Native American fight for freedom begins with the Puritan settlement in America. -
Period: to
The American Invasion
The Puritan settlers believed that they were chosen by God to create a new order in America so this directed everyday lives and as well as the start of an American society. They saw human struggle with sin and believed that the Bible would help them through the pain of human weakness. -
William Bradford's "Of Plymouth Plantation"
Of Plimoth Plantation was written between 1630 and 1651 by William Bradford, who lived from 1590 to 1657. Bradford was the leader and served as governor of the Plymouth Colony in Massachusetts. The work describes the story of the pilgrims from when they lived in their old land in 1608 through the Mayflower voyage. He discusses his thoughts on religion compared with the mission of the pilgrims and it ends with a list of the Mayflower passengers and what happened to them by 1651. -
"Upon the Burning of Our House"
"Upon the Burning of Our House" was written by Anne Bradstreet after her house burned down. The poem talks about how even though her beloved house is now a pile of dark and grey ashes, she knows that God has better things in life stored for her. -
The Salem Witch Trials/The Crucible
The Salem Witch trials were a series of prosecutions, amongst multiple people, being accused of witchcraft and the trials resulted in executions. The strong religious beliefs of the puritans drove the town carzy about witchcraft and it brought death to a lot of people. Arthur Miller's play, "The Crucible", written in 1953, was set back during the Salem Witch Trials because, during his time, America was suffering from the Red Scare, which was very similar to the witch trails. -
"Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God"
This is one of the most moving sermons in American history written by Jonathan Edwards. He wrote this sermon to scare or threaten the non-Christian or "sinners" to give their lives to Christ. -
Period: to
American Romanticism
The American Romanticism period opened the minds of the people in America. Romanticism became popular in American philosophy and art. The movement appealed to those wishing to break free from the strict religious traditions of the early settlement period, Puritanism. The Romantic writers often wrote about the interests in the common man, awe of nature, celebration of the individual and more. All of these characteristics are what makes the Romantic period so unique. -
The Impact of Slavery to the Romantic Period
From 1793 to 1860, the demand for cotton a slaves rose greatly. Most Southern farmers felt that slavery had become necessary for increasing profits but for slaves, life was torture. They were sold from one another, slaves of all genders and ages worked day and night, and were often beat. Many people in the North saw slavery as immoral which sparked some writings in the Romantic era. Romantic poets John Greenleaf Whittier and James Russell wrote abolitionist journalism and poetry. -
The Louisiana Purchase & The Indian Removal Act of 1803
The Louisiana Purchase doubled the country's size. Settlers from all over moved farther westward to make money and to gain land. This caused the Native American to be pushed off their land. The Indian Removal Act of 1803 required the Natives to relocate farther west and those who didn't cooperate were often brutally forced to leave. -
Transcendental Club
Ralph Waldo Emerson, a New England writer, led a group of people who practiced transcendentalism, which is a philosophical and literary movement that emphasized living a simple life and celebrating the truth found in nature, personal emotion, and imagination. The transcendentalist express the American ideas of optimism, freedom, and self-reliance. -
Edgar Allen Poe's "The Raven"
Edgar Allen Poe was apart of the "Brooding" Romantics, which was filled with currents and a deep awareness of the human capacity for evil. Poe was the boss of the gothic form. His plots involved both mental and physical torture and much more. "The Raven" is a dark poem about a narrator who is in deep sorrow over the death of his wife, Lenore. He eventually faces a raven who only says "Nevermore." The bird's one response then begins to drive the narrator into insanity. -
Slave Narrative by Frederick Douglass
Frederick Douglass was a former slave for 21 years before he escaped and ran to the North. There he became an influential abolitionist. He gave speeches against slavery and to give equal rights to all. Slave narratives are narratives told by slaves,detailing their experiences as an African American slave. The narratives showed the real truth about how they were treated and made the readers care by showing that slaves were real people who had to suffer beatings and whippings and died for freedom. -
"The Chambered Nautilus"
"The Chambered Nautilus" was written by Oliver Wendell Holmes, who also wrote three novels in addition to poetry and a biography of Emerson and numerous essays. In "The Chambered Nautilus" the narrator observes the broken shell of a nautilus. He uses metaphors to describe its beauty and life and compares it to the great lesson that it teaches about human life. -
The Civil War
The Civil War was a war between the South and the North. The North was fighting to abolish slavery and the South was fighting to keep slavery alive. The Civil War started the Realism period because many writers watched the war's ugly nature first and it shaped their view of life. The writing became more honest, and more straightforward. -
The Emancipation Proclamation
The Emancipation Proclamation was a document meant to help the North win the war. Because the document applied to the territories the Union didn't control, It did not free the slaves, but its promises inspired a mass number of Afrivan Americans to join the Union army. -
The Ninth & Final Edition of "Leaves of Grass" was Published
Whitman published a book of poetry called "Leaves of Grass." He wrote in free verse because he believed that a sprawling nation "could not be squeezed into traditional poetic forms." "Leaves of Grass." was about his entire life. They say that "Leaves of Grass" is the "most influental book of poetry in American Liturature.(530) -
Period: to
Modernism
Modernism sparked as a response to social and intellectual effects shaping the 20th century. Modern writers reacted to the idealism they felt in WWI. Modernist saw mass society as a threat to the individual and they felt that the standard of culture resulted in alienation and isolation. That was a theme often expressed in their work. -
WWI
WWI is one of the biggest reasons that influenced the American writers of the early 20th century. This war is known as the "Great War." It started in Europe and involved 32 nations and killed over 20 million people. For many people, the war was a sign of the end of idealism and transitioned into a new era marked by political corruption, and business practices and more. -
The Harlem Renaissance
The Harlem Renaissance what an artiistic and literary movement inspied by African Americans. They cared ffor each other's artisitc, musical, and literary talents. Their art focused on their folk traditions as well as new urban awarness. -
"Nothing Gold Can Stay" by Robert Frost
"Nothing Gold Can Stay" talks about how nature shows us that nothing beautiful last. In this poem, he uses pairs of rhyming words to help convey the nature of beauty. -
The Great Depression
The Great depression is a time when many banks and buisnesses failed causing people to lose their jobs. By 1933, 25% of Americans were unable to pay their bills, thousands went homless and millions when hungry. -
"Of Mice and Men"
"Of Mice and Men" is a book written by John Steinbeck. The was written during the time of the Great Depression and the Dust Bowl. The Dust Bowl was a huge drought that happened in the 1930s. When the drought began, huge dust storms damaged farms and crops causing farmers to move west to California looking for jobs. The book was about two men, Lennie and George, trying to find jobs to earn money for their "American Dream." "Of Mice and Men" showed the reality of struggling Americans. -
Period: to
American Realism
Realism is a literary movement that developed in the late 18th century in France and then spread throughout the rest of Europe and eventually to America. Realism is about portraying real life. Realist writers wrote about the common persons living their ordinary lives. Some of these writers were against the Romantic movement, which often stressed nature over culture and the individual against society,
