Important Books, Films, Poems, Photographs, Sermons, Speeches, Essays, and Literary Movements from U.S. History

1. Important Books, Films, Poems, Photographs, Sermons, Speeches, Essays, and Literary Movements from U.S. History

2. Model of Christian Charity "A Model of Christian Charity" (1630) • Sermon delivered by John Winthropto Puritan colonists (Massachusetts Bay Colony) • The phrase "City upon a Hill"used to describe American exceptionalism(theory that the U.S. is different from other countries in that it has a specific world mission to spread liberty and democracy)

3. Poor Richard’s Almanack Poor Richard's Almanack- yearly almanac published by Benjamin Franklin from 1732 to 1758 • Almanacks were very popular books in colonial America, with people in the colonies using them for the mixture of seasonal weather forecasts, practical household hints, puzzles, and other amusements they offered.

4. Common Sense Common Sense-- pamphlet written by Thomas Paine (1776) • presented the American colonists with an argument for freedom from British rule at a time when the question of independence was still undecided • played a major role in convincing Congress to declare independence

5. Declaration of Independence Thomas Jeffersoncomposed the original draft of the Declaration of Independence (1776) • justified the independence of the United States • listed colonial grievances against King George III • asserted certain natural and legal rights

6. Wealth of Nations Adam Smithwrote Wealth of Nations(1776) • full title: An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations • reflection on economics at the beginning of the Industrial Revolution • argues that free market economies are more productive and beneficial to their societies

7. The Federalist Papers The Federalist Papers(1787) • written by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison and John Jay • authors used the pseudonym "Publius" • essays promoted the ratification of the United States Constitution

8. The Report on Manufactures Alexander Hamilton wrote The Report on Manufactures(1791) • recommended economic policies to stimulate the new republic's economy and ensure the independence won with the conclusion of the Revolutionary War in 1783 • principal ideas of the "Report" would later be incorporated into the "American System" program by Senator Henry Clay of Kentucky

9. The Knickerbocker Group TheKnickerbocker Group(1820s) • James Fenimore Cooper, Longfellow, and William Cullen Bryant • American pioneers in the literary fields of general literature, novels, and poetry and journalism • Noted for their use of American themes in literature

10. The Liberator William Lloyd Garrison publishedThe Liberator(1831) • 1st abolitionist newspaper • earned nationwide notoriety for its uncompromising advocacy of "immediate and complete emancipation of all slaves" in the United States

11. Democracy in America Alexis de Toquevillewrote Democracy in America (1835) • Frenchman de Toqueville spent nine months traveling the United States, collecting information on American society, including its religious, political, and economic character • Stressed Americans’ individualism and equality

12. On Civil Disobedience On Civil Disobedience was an essay by American transcendentalist Henry David Thoreau (1849) • People have a moral duty to disobey unjust laws • Motivated in part by his disgust with slavery and the Mexican–American War “Disobedience is the true foundation of liberty.” Henry David Thoreau

13. Self-Reliance Self-Relianceis an essay written by American Transcendentalist Ralph Waldo Emerson. • Emerson's theme: the need for each individual to avoid conformity and follow his or her own instincts and ideas • “A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds.” • Ralph Waldo Emerson

14. Uncle Tom’s Cabin Harriet Beecher Stowe’sUncle Tom’s Cabin(1852) • best-selling novel of the 19th century • about the evils of slavery; fueled the abolitionist cause in the 1850s • helped lay the groundwork for the Civil War

15. Leaves of Grass Walt Whitmanwrote the poetry collection Leaves of Grass (first edition was published in 1855) • praises nature and the individual human's role in it • written at a time of significant urbanization in America, Leaves of Grass responds to the impact urbanization has on the masses

16. “Ain'tI a Woman?” "Ain't I a Woman?"is a speech by Sojourner Truthwho was born a slave in New York State. After gaining her freedom in 1827, she became a well known anti-slavery speaker. Truth's speech include the ideas: • that she could bear the lash as well as a man • that no one ever offered her the traditional gentlemanly deference to a woman • that most of her 13 children were sold away from her into slavery

17. The Autobiography of Frederick Douglass The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass is a memoir and treatise on abolition written by famous orator and ex-slave, Frederick Douglass (1845) • most famous of a number of narratives written by former slaves during the same period • describes the events of his life and is considered to be one of the most influential pieces of literature to fuel the abolitionist movement of the early 19th century in the United States

18. The Impending Crisis of the South Hinton Helperwrote The Impending Crisis of the South (1857) • a strong attack on slavery as inefficient and a barrier to the economic advancement of whites • helped sharpen sectional political differences in the period immediately preceding the American Civil War

19. The Sociology of the South George Fitzhughwrote The Sociology of the South • defended slavery as preferable to “northern wage slaves” • argued that free labor and free markets enriched the strong while crushing the weak • believed that slavery reduced the pressure on the poor and lower classes • advocated slavery for poor whites as well as blacks

20. Progress and Poverty Henry George wrote Progress and Poverty:an Inquiry into the Cause of Industrial Depressions and of Increase of Want with Increase of Wealth: The Remedy(1879) • seeks to explain why poverty exists notwithstanding widespread advances in technology and even where there is a concentration of great wealth such as in cities

21. A Century of Dishonor Helen Hunt Jackson wrote A Century of Dishonor (1881) • chronicles the experiences of Native Americans in the United States, focusing on injustices • an attempt to change government ideas/policy toward Native Americans

22. Works of Horatio Alger Horatio Alger • most works completed between 1864-1882 • “rags to riches” stories for children • about impoverished boys and their rise from humble backgrounds to lives of middle-class security and comfort through courage, determination, honesty & hard work

23. Looking Backward Edward Bellamy wrote Looking Backward(1888) • proposed nationalization of private property influenced a large number of intellectuals • appears by title in many of the major Marxist writings of the day • inspired several utopian communities

24. The Gospel of Wealth Andrew CarnegiewroteThe Gospel of Wealth (1889) • described the responsibility of philanthropyby the new upper class of self-made rich • the wealthy entrepreneur must assume the responsibility of distributing his fortune in a way that it will be put to good use, and not wasted on frivolous expenditure

25. The Influence of Sea Power upon History,1660-1783 Alfred Thayer Mahan The Influence of Sea Power upon History, 1660-1783(1890) • details the role of sea power throughout history, using Britain as an example • its policies were quickly adopted by most major navies, ultimately causing the World War I naval arms race

26. How the Other Half Lives How the Other Half Lives(1890) by Jacob Riis was an early publication of photojournalism • documented squalid living conditions in New York City slums in the 1880s • served as a basis for future "muckraking" journalism by exposing the slums to New York City’s upper and middle classes

27. The Significance of the Frontier in American History Frederick Jackson Turner wroteThe Significance of the Frontier in American History(1893) • the frontier shaped the American character (uniquely adventurous, optimistic, & democratic people), driving American history and making America what it is today

28. The Atlanta Compromise The Atlanta Compromise (1895) was a speech given by Booker T. Washington • an agreement between African-American leaders and Southern white leaders • Southern blacks would work meekly and submit to white political rule, while Southern whites guaranteed that blacks would receive basic education and due process of law • blacks would not agitate for equality, integration, or justice, and Northern whites would fund black educational charities

29. “Yellow Journalism” William Randolph Hearst & Joseph Pulitzer – “Yellow Journalism” • term used to describe major New York City newspapers about 1900 as they battled for circulation • presents little or no legitimate well-researched news and instead uses eye-catching headlines to sell more newspapers • often cited as the cause of the United States' entry into the Spanish-American War due to sensationalist stories or exaggerations of the terrible conditions in Cuba

30. The Souls of Black Folk W.E.B. DuBois wrote The Souls of Black Folk(1903) • groundbreaking work on being African-American in American society • blacks of the South needed the right to vote, a good education, and to be treated with equality and justice • argued against Booker T. Washington's idea of focusing solely on industrial education for black men

31. The Shame of the Cities Lincoln Steffens wrote The Shame of the Cities(1904) • sought to expose public corruption in many major cities throughout the United States • details municipal corruption of political machines and big business • goal was to provoke public outcry and thus promote reform • one of the first primary examples of muckraking journalism

32. The Jungle Upton Sinclair wrote The Jungle(1906) • intended to portray the life of the immigrant in the United States, but readers were more concerned with the large portion of the book pertaining to the corruption of the American meatpacking industry during the early 20th century • details horrible conditions in Chicago meatpacking plants • Public pressure led to the passage of the Meat Inspection Act and the Pure Food and Drug Act of 1906

33. The Promises of American Life Herbert Croly wrote The Promises of American Life(1909) • Offered a manifesto of Progressive beliefs • argued for a national government that was more powerful than it had been, as a bulwark against overbearing self-interest, greed, corruption and unchecked power • after reading this book, Theodore Roosevelt adopted the “New Nationalism”

34. Twenty Years at Hull House Jane Addams wrote Twenty Years at Hull House(1910) • main purpose of Hull House in Chicagowas to provide social and educational opportunities for working class people • became the standard bearer for the movement that had grown, by 1920, to almost 500 settlement houses nationally

35. Principles of Scientific Management Frederick Taylorwrote Principles of Scientific Management(1911) • laid out the principles of scientific management • seminal text of modern organization and decision theory; supported by the Progressive Movement • motivated administrators and students of managerial technique

36. The Birth of a Nation D.W. Griffithdirected the film The Birth of a Nation (1915) • film was a commercial success, but was highly controversial owing to its portrayal of the Ku Klux Klan as a heroic force • inspired the formation of the "second era" Ku Klux Klan at Stone Mountain, Georgia in the same year

37. The Man Nobody Knows Bruce Bartonwrote The Man Nobody Knows (1924) • presented Jesus as "the founder of modern business," in an effort to make the Christian story accessible to businessmen of the time • critics suggested that The Man Nobody Knows is a prime example of the materialism of the Protestant churches in the 1920s

38. The Lost Generation “The Lost Generation” F. Scott Fitzgerald, Ernest Hemingway, andJohn Dos Passos • defines a sense of moral loss or aimlessness apparent in literary figures during the 1920s • World War I seemed to have destroyed the idea that if you acted virtuously, good things would happen. Many good, young men went to war and died or returned home either physically or mentally wounded • their faith in the moral guideposts that had earlier given them hope, were no longer valid...they were "Lost."

39. The New Negro Alain Locke edited The New Negro(1925) • an anthology of fiction, poetry, and essays on African and African American art and literature • central example of the creative efforts coming out of the burgeoning New Negro Movement or Harlem Renaissance • considered by literary scholars and critics to be the definitive text of the movement

40. “Harlem Renaissance” “Harlem Renaissance” Langston Hughesand Claude McKay • characterizing the Harlem Renaissance was an overt racial pride that came to be represented in the idea of the New Negro • through intellect and production of literature, art, and music, he/she could challenge the pervading racism to promote racial and social integration • the creation of art and literature would serve to "uplift" the race

41. The Jazz Singer “The Jazz Singer” (1929) • first feature-length motion picture with synchronized sound • heralded the commercial ascendance of the "talkies" and the decline of the silent film era

42. The Grapes of Wrath John Steinbeck’sThe Grapes of Wrath(1939) • set during the Great Depression • focuses on the Joads, a poor family of tenant farmers driven from their Oklahoma home by drought and economic hardship • trapped in the Dust Bowl, the Joads set out for California • along with thousands of other "Okies",they sought jobs, land, dignity, and a future

43. Photographs of Dorothea Lange Dorothea Lange • took photographs of the Great Depression • Lange's photographs humanized the consequences of the Great Depression and influenced the development of documentary photography

44. The Other America: Poverty in the U.S. Michael Harrington wrote The Other America(1962) • argued that up to 25% of the nation was living in poverty • many believe that this book is responsible for President Lyndon B. Johnson's "War on Poverty"

45. Silent Spring Rachel Carson wrote Silent Spring(1962) • inspired widespread public concerns with pesticides and pollution of the environment • widely credited with helping launch the environmental movement

46. The Feminine Mystique Betty Friedan wrote The Feminine Mystique(1963) • seminal work of women’s rights movement in 1960s • Friedan received hundreds of letters from unhappy housewives after its publication, and she went on to help found the National Organization for Women, an influential feminist organization

47. “Letter from Birmingham Jail” Martin Luther King, Jr. wrote “Letter from Birmingham Jail” (1963) • response to a statement made by eight white Alabama clergymen; “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere”

48. The Pentagon Papers Daniel Ellsberg leakedThe Pentagon Papers(classified U.S. government report) to the press in 1971 • The New York Times said that the Pentagon Papers "demonstrated, among other things, that the Johnson Administration had systematically lied, not only to the public but also to Congress” about the United States' political-military involvement in Vietnam from 1945 to 1967

49. All the President’s Men Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein wrote All the President’s Men(1974) • chronicles the investigative reporting of Woodward and Bernstein on the Watergate break-in and its aftermath