Romanticism 1800-1840

So, when was the “Romantic Period”? Romanticism Timeline So, when was the “Romantic Period”? Puritanism: approx. 1500-1750 Age of Reason: approx. 1750-1800 Romanticism: approx. 1800-1840

What came before? The “Age of Reason” was a time of discovery . This was when the Declaration of Independence was written and signed, and it was when our country came into being. Most of the writings during the “Age of Reason” were about political issues or discovery.

Where does the “Romantic” period fit in? Rapid Growth in the States A. Andrew Jackson elected President B. Louisiana Purchase C. Flourishing nation

Growth of the “Common Man” Property requirements eliminated from voting Women could not vote Slaves counted 3/5 of a person for congressional representation Beginning of feminist and anti-slavery movement

Important Events War of 1812 “Star Spangled Banner” written by Francis Scott Key Monroe Doctrine Battle of Alamo “Twas the Night Before Christmas” written by Clement Clark Moore (1823)

The City, Grim and Gray Largest American cities: Boston, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Charleston, and New York Between 1820 and 1840, the population of New York more than doubled (124,000 to 312,000)

Living Conditions in the Tenements First official tenements built: * Tenements were “buildings where a bathtub might be shared with four hundred people, where eight or more people might live in a single room without furniture, and where tenants might be ragpickers who kept their smelly stashes inside their homes. The soundtrack to the squalor and dinginess of life in one of these buildings might be provided by the bloodcurdling screeches of chickens being slaughtered indoors for the night’s meal.”

New York…New York City Streets were often fouled by droppings from their main source of transportation: horses!!! When a horse was injured or collapsed from malnutrition or overwork, it was left to die on the curbside. The body might remain on the street for days or weeks. Disease was a huge problem!!!

Sick, Sick, Sick In Manhattan in the summer of 1832, 1/3 of the city’s population left New York to escape a cholera epidemic that killed an average of 100 people per day. Only people who could afford to leave were able to escape. 20,000 homeless children were roamed the streets of New York, often resorting to petty crime to survive. Others worked in sweat shops or sold items on the streets for income.

Crime in the City Waterfront gangs included “pirates” who would kill for nothing Buildings were often burned to the ground for no reason Riots on the streets

A little bit of Utopia The poet, William Cullen Bryant, dreamed of bringing the countryside to the dimness of the city. In the 1840s, talk of building a large and expensive city park began to emerge. The construction of the park would have to wait, however, until after the Civil War.

The park, Central Park as we now know it, would be completed in 1876!!!

Romantic Characteristics S= Supernatural N= Nature I= Imagination and Individual P= Past D= Distrust for civilization and authority

Supernatural The Romantics sought to find beauty and truth in exotic locations, the supernatural realm, and the inner world of the imagination. They would often use mystery in their writings and involve the supernatural within that mystery.

Nature The Romantics wanted to rebel against the harshness of civilization and industrialization. Therefore, they sought out nature and what it could provide. They were increasingly interested in the unspoiled beauty of nature. They saw nature’s beauty as a path to spiritual and moral development.

Imagination and the Individual The Romantics fell away from the political writings of the “Age of Reason” and sought an outlet for the imagination. They saw poetry as the highest form of expression and placed emphasis on the individual man, his experiences, and his emotions.

Past The Romantics felt a nostalgia for the past and often looked backwards to the wisdom of the past as guidance for the future. The Romantics often distrusted “progress.”

Distrust for civilization and authority The Romantics often looked for nature’s unspoiled beauty. Therefore, they often distrusted what industrialized society would bring with it.