Civil War Era Literature 1850 – 1880 Writers stopped focusing on Romantic ideals and began to give realistic portrayals of the problems confronting the nation.

North vs. South The nation developed in two different directions –The North was a center for industrial manufacturing and the export of finished goods –The South was almost entirely agricultural, producing rice, tobacco, cotton, and sugar, and exporting many of these good to Great Britain

Tensions The differing values created tension between the North and the South –Fundamental differences in lifestyles Life in cities & towns vs. life on the farm Work in mills or factories vs. work on the farm or plantation

Slavery Some Southerners opposed slavery, but most saw it as a necessary part of the Southern economy –By 1830, there were approximately 3 million slaves of African descent in the US. Approximately 85% of these were forced agricultural laborers

Slavery Strong abolitionist movement in the North produced significant publications –William Lloyd Garrison – The Liberator –Freedom’s Journal – first black-owned newspaper (John Russwurm & Samuel Cornish) –Frederick Douglass – The North Star

Literature of Abolition & Protest Abolitionist literature existed well before the Civil War –Some of the literature was written by Northern whites, especially women, who tried to appeal to the family concerns of Southern women –Slaves in the south developed original forms of literature Spiritual Slave Narrative

Spirituals Combined African & European music and poetic text to create dramatic symbols of the suffering of slaves and their hope for deliverance Expressions of religious faith– generally Christian, and specific to the religious experience of Southern slaves

Slave Narratives Autobiographical account of the life of a former slave Chronicles the extraordinary conditions under which he or she lived Ranging in length from a few pages to entire books – hundreds were published in the decades before the civil war

Literature of the War Much of the literature during and immediately after the Civil War was concerned with restoring a national identity –Hoping to find threads of unity –Appealing to the honor and courage of those who fought

Poetic Revolution Walt Whitman –Found poetry in the lives of everyday Americans Emily Dickinson –Composed poetry that gave meaning to ordinary life