1. AMERICAN LITERATURE & ART By: Gabby Kaminski

2. American Themes ◦Individualism ◦Transcendentalism ◦Countervailing pressures of society ◦Reflection upon simple living in natural surroundings ◦Romanticism ◦Dark romanticism. ◦The inherent evil and sin of humanity ◦Historical romances of frontier and Indian life in the early American days

3. Transcendentalism ◦Transcendentalism was a philosophical movement that developed in the late 1820s and 1830s in the eastern region of the United States. The movement was a reaction to or protest against the general state of intellectualism and spirituality.

4. Popular Music ◦The main music during that time period was romantic like most novels. Some well known composers were Frederic Chopin and Franz Liszt. In that era musicians were allowed to compose more freely without old rules and regulations. Reasons why music was so popular during that time include: ◦Improvement in transportation ◦People had more money to afford music ◦More machinery meant better and more instruments ◦Better concert halls

5. ARTISTS AND NOVELISTS During the late 1700’s and early 1800’s

6. Ralph Waldo Emerson ◦He was an American essayist, lecturer, and poet ◦He lead the Transcendentalism movement during the 19 th century ◦He was seen as a champion of individualism and a prescient critic of the countervailing pressures of society, and he disseminated his thoughts through dozens of published essays and more than 1,500 public lectures across the United States. ◦Born on May 25, 1803 in Boston, Massachusetts, U.S. ◦Died on April 27, 1882 in Concord, Massachusetts, U.S. ◦Went to college at Harvard University ◦He gave a speech entitled "The American Scholar"

7. Henry David Thoreau ◦Was an American author, poet, philosopher, abolitionist, naturalist, and historian. ◦Is best known for his book Walden, a reflection upon simple living in natural surroundings, and his essay Resistance to Civil Government. ◦Born on July 12, 1817 in Concord, Massachusetts, United States ◦Died on May 6, 1862 in Concord, Massachusetts, United States ◦Cited as an anarchist ◦Went to Harvard University ◦Notable ideas: abolitionism, tax resistance, civil disobedience,& anarchism

8. Herman Melville ◦Was an American novelist, short story writer, and poet ◦Wrote during the American Renaissance period ◦Was best known for Typee, a romantic account of his experiences in Polynesian life, and his whaling novel Moby-Dick ◦Born on August 1, 1819 in New York City, New York, U.S. ◦Died on September 28, 1891 in New York City, New York, U.S. ◦Was involved in the literary movement called romanticism

9. Nathaniel Hawthorne ◦Was an American novelist, Dark Romantic, and short story writer. ◦Born on July 4, 1804 in Salem, Massachusetts, United States ◦Died on May 19, 1864 in Plymouth, New Hampshire, United States ◦His fiction works are considered part of the Romantic movement and, more specifically, Dark romanticism. ◦His themes often center on the inherent evil and sin of humanity. ◦The Scarlet Letter was published in 1850, followed by a succession of other novels.

10. Louisa May Alcott ◦Was an American novelist and poet ◦Best known as the author of the novel Little Women, and its sequels Little Men, and Jo's Boys ◦Raised by her transcendentalist parents, Abigail May and Amos Bronson Alcott ◦Born on November 29, 1832 in Germantown, Pennsylvania, United States ◦Died on March 6, 1888 in Boston, Massachusetts, United States ◦She was part of a group of female authors during the Gilded Age, who addressed women’s issues in a modern and candid manner.

11. Washington Irving ◦Was an American author, essayist, biographer, historian, and diplomat of the early 19th century ◦He is best known for his short stories "Rip Van Winkle“ and "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" ◦Born on April 3, 1783 in New York City, New York ◦Died on November 28, 1859 in Sunnyside, Tarrytown, New York ◦His historical works include biographies of George Washington and Oliver Goldsmith. ◦Irving served as the U.S. ambassador to Spain from 1842 to 1846.

12. James Fennimore Cooper ◦Was a prolific and popular American writer of the early 19th century. ◦His historical romances of frontier and Indian life in the early American days created a unique form of American literature. ◦Born in September 15, 1789 in Burlington, New Jersey ◦Died on September 14, 1851 in Cooperstown, New York ◦Among his most famous works is the Romantic novel The Last of the Mohicans