The American Renaissance Rise of the American Art Form

Rising Prosperity Technology improved quality of lifeTechnology improved quality of life Lowered prices of goodsLowered prices of goods Rise in average worker’s purchasing powerRise in average worker’s purchasing power Increased factory productivity led to more hoursIncreased factory productivity led to more hours Growth of cities offered more opportunities for year-round work (compared to agricultural labor)Growth of cities offered more opportunities for year-round work (compared to agricultural labor) Rise of cities increased paid labor for women and childrenRise of cities increased paid labor for women and children Cities provided more $ opportunities & attracted more peopleCities provided more $ opportunities & attracted more people

Quality of Life HousingHousing Little improvement for the urban poorLittle improvement for the urban poor Crowded tenementsCrowded tenements Middle class = brick row housesMiddle class = brick row houses RR’s transported fresh foodRR’s transported fresh food Urban waterworks started providing waterUrban waterworks started providing water Still not common & not matched by sewersStill not common & not matched by sewers 2/3 of family income spent on food and rent2/3 of family income spent on food and rent

Health Greater emphasis on diet and exerciseGreater emphasis on diet and exercise Sylvester Graham – more veggies, less meatSylvester Graham – more veggies, less meat Believed meat eaters were more lustful and aggressiveBelieved meat eaters were more lustful and aggressive Popularity reflected desire for better lifePopularity reflected desire for better life Some scientific fads were strangeSome scientific fads were strange Phrenology = development of brain determined skull shapePhrenology = development of brain determined skull shape Believed a person’s character could be judged by the shape of their headBelieved a person’s character could be judged by the shape of their head Some negative applications of phrenologySome negative applications of phrenology

Health Major epidemicsMajor epidemics Cholera, yellow feverCholera, yellow fever Diseases spread because of:Diseases spread because of: TransportationTransportation Distrust of physiciansDistrust of physicians Doctors didn’t understand causes of diseasesDoctors didn’t understand causes of diseases Powerless municipal health boardsPowerless municipal health boards Anesthesia improved surgical proceduresAnesthesia improved surgical procedures William Morton uses ether in 1846William Morton uses ether in 1846 Infections from wounds or surgery still a problemInfections from wounds or surgery still a problem

Mid-19 th Century Pastimes Reading - fiction and newspapersReading - fiction and newspapers Penny Press (James Gordon Bennett)Penny Press (James Gordon Bennett) inexpensive with mass appealinexpensive with mass appeal New York HeraldNew York Herald Focus on crime coverage & human interestFocus on crime coverage & human interest Birth of the modern pressBirth of the modern press

Theater – diverse styles (even Shakespeare)Theater – diverse styles (even Shakespeare) Minstrel Shows – variety shows that usually lampooned blacks by reinforcing stereotypes of African Americans as clumsy and stupidMinstrel Shows – variety shows that usually lampooned blacks by reinforcing stereotypes of African Americans as clumsy and stupid P.T. Barnum & the “American Museum”P.T. Barnum & the “American Museum”

American Renaissance Started c. 1820’sStarted c. 1820’s Prior – most writers & artists mimicked European worksPrior – most writers & artists mimicked European works Euros contemptuous of American artEuros contemptuous of American art 1800 – U.S. authors a negligible proportion of output of U.S. publishers1800 – U.S. authors a negligible proportion of output of U.S. publishers 1830 – about 30% American1830 – about 30% American 1850 – 75%1850 – 75% Greater effort to depict features of U.S. in artGreater effort to depict features of U.S. in art A quest for nationality in artA quest for nationality in art

American Renaissance Based on romanticismBased on romanticism Literary works emotionally charged, reflecting inner feelingsLiterary works emotionally charged, reflecting inner feelings A democratization of literatureA democratization of literature No classical education required to write or read fictionNo classical education required to write or read fiction Many antebellum works written by womenMany antebellum works written by women

The Writers James Fenimore CooperJames Fenimore Cooper 1 st to introduce a distinctively American character: Frontiersman1 st to introduce a distinctively American character: Frontiersman Frontiersman Natty Bumppo – “Leatherstocking Tales”Frontiersman Natty Bumppo – “Leatherstocking Tales” Last of the Mohicans (1826), The Pathfinder (1840)Last of the Mohicans (1826), The Pathfinder (1840) Ralph Waldo Emerson - essayistRalph Waldo Emerson - essayist A transcendentalist – off-shoot of romanticismA transcendentalist – off-shoot of romanticism Knowledge of reality derived from intuition, not sensual experienceKnowledge of reality derived from intuition, not sensual experience Henry David Thoreau –Henry David Thoreau – “Civil Disobedience” (1849) – citizen’s right to disobey unjust laws“Civil Disobedience” (1849) – citizen’s right to disobey unjust laws Walden (1854) – a reexamination of life’s purposeWalden (1854) – a reexamination of life’s purpose Self-reflectionSelf-reflection

The Writers Margaret Fuller – transcendentalist writerMargaret Fuller – transcendentalist writer Woman in the Nineteenth Century (1845)Woman in the Nineteenth Century (1845) Women cannot achieve personal fulfillment without developing intellectual abilitiesWomen cannot achieve personal fulfillment without developing intellectual abilities Walt Whitman – PoetWalt Whitman – Poet Leaves of Grass (1855)Leaves of Grass (1855) Free verse poetry with blunt languageFree verse poetry with blunt language

Fiction Nathaniel HawthorneNathaniel Hawthorne The Scarlet Letter (1850)The Scarlet Letter (1850) Edgar Allen PoeEdgar Allen Poe The Murders in the Rue Morgue (1841)The Murders in the Rue Morgue (1841) The Cask of Amontillado (1846)The Cask of Amontillado (1846) The Raven (poem – 1844)The Raven (poem – 1844) Herman MelvilleHerman Melville Moby-Dick (1851)Moby-Dick (1851) All tended to be pessimistic about humanity – probed the mental state of their charactersAll tended to be pessimistic about humanity – probed the mental state of their characters Uniquely American style focusing in moral dilemmasUniquely American style focusing in moral dilemmas

Left-Side Activity How do the writings of Emerson, Thoreau, and Whitman differ from those of Hawthorne, Poe, and Melville?How do the writings of Emerson, Thoreau, and Whitman differ from those of Hawthorne, Poe, and Melville? Hawthorne, Poe, and Melville had a pessimistic view of human natureHawthorne, Poe, and Melville had a pessimistic view of human nature

The Literary Marketplace Unlike earlier writers who shunned commercialism, American Renaissance writers sought income & recognitionUnlike earlier writers who shunned commercialism, American Renaissance writers sought income & recognition Poe wrote for magazinesPoe wrote for magazines Emerson, Thoreau & Melville lectured at lyceums for fees and expensesEmerson, Thoreau & Melville lectured at lyceums for fees and expenses Higher literacy due to co-educational public schools widened audience, especially womenHigher literacy due to co-educational public schools widened audience, especially women Most popular form of fiction – sentimental novelsMost popular form of fiction – sentimental novels

Why did American women enjoy reading novels during the antebellum period? They were extremely sentimentalThey were extremely sentimental They taught women that they could overcome adversityThey taught women that they could overcome adversity They portrayed men as dissolute drunkards or vicious misersThey portrayed men as dissolute drunkards or vicious misers They were inexpensiveThey were inexpensive

The Hudson River School Not a school, but a movement (1820’s-70’s)Not a school, but a movement (1820’s-70’s) Focused mainly on landscapesFocused mainly on landscapes Thomas ColeThomas Cole Asher DurandAsher Durand Frederick ChurchFrederick Church Albert BierstedtAlbert Bierstedt Started in Hudson River region but spreadStarted in Hudson River region but spread Emphasized emotional effect over accuracyEmphasized emotional effect over accuracy Many sought to preserve a record of disappearing wildernessMany sought to preserve a record of disappearing wilderness

Landscape Architecture Creation of pockets of nature in urban settingsCreation of pockets of nature in urban settings “spiritual refreshment” for city dwellers“spiritual refreshment” for city dwellers Frederick Law Olmstead & Calvert VauxFrederick Law Olmstead & Calvert Vaux Central Park – NYCCentral Park – NYC Hide the surrounding cityHide the surrounding city