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American Romantic Period: Unveiling Nature's Truths

Explore the American Romantic Period (1800-1860), a time of creativity and introspection. Discover the impact of historical events like the Louisiana Purchase and the California Gold Rush, and delve into the themes of Romanticism, Transcendentalism, and Dark Romanticism in literature. Uncover the characteristics of American Romanticism, the trope of the American Hero, and the works of Fireside Poets. Dive deep into the complexities of nature, intuition, and human experience that defined this era.

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American Romantic Period: Unveiling Nature's Truths

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  1. American Romantic Period Also known as the American Renaissance

  2. 1800 - 1860 What’s going on in the world: • 1803 – Louisiana Purchase • 1810 – Mexico begins it’s war of independence from Spain • 1812 – British attempt to take back America in the War of 1812 • 1815 – Napoleon defeated at Waterloo • 1820-1821 – Missouri Compromise (free state/ slave state) • 1830 – Underground railroad begins • 1837 – Queen Victoria rules England • 1845 – United States annexes Texas (leads to war with Mexico in 1846) • 1849 – California gold rush • 1854 – Republican party formed (opposed extension of slavery) • 1858 – England takes over rule of India

  3. Louisiana Purchase • From France • 4 cents an acre (15 million dollars total) • Doubled US Territory

  4. The Gold Rush • Helped to develop the West • Led to the building of railroads • California and Alaska were major rushes

  5. Romanticism • NOT about love • Values feeling and intuition over reason • Romantics believed that imagination could discover truths that the rational mind could not • Nature is very important Those who dream by day are cognizant of many things which escape those who dream only by night. -Edgar Allan Poe

  6. Characteristics of the American Romantic period • Values feeling and intuition over reason • Values the imagination over reality • Civilization is bad Nature is good • Educated sophistication is bad Youthful innocence is good • Individual freedom is important • Nature is the way to find God • Progress is bad • Most settings are in exotic locales or the supernatural • Poetry is the highest expression of the imagination • Lots of inspiration from myths and legends

  7. The American Hero • Young (or at least acts young) • Innocent and pure • Sense of honor higher than society’s honor • Has knowledge of people and life based on a deep understanding, not based on education • Loves nature • Quests for a higher truth

  8. The Hero • First American Hero – created by James Fennimore Cooper: Natty Bumppo(went by other names – Hawkeye, Deerslayer, and Leatherstocking)

  9. The Fireside Poets • Henry Wadsworth Longfellow • John Greenleaf Whittier • Oliver Wendell Holmes • James Russell Lowell

  10. Fireside Poets • People liked to read their works by the fireside at night • For a very long time were known as the most popular poets ever • Very un-Romantic in their style

  11. Transcendentalists • Weird • One must go beyond (transcend) the everyday human experience in order to determine the ultimate reality of God • What is perceived by the senses is not necessarily true • Believed in human perfectibility • Ralph Waldo Emerson is best known

  12. Themes in Transcendental Works • Individualism • Democracy • Intuition supersedes logic • Nature is king • Utopia (perfect place) • Optimism • Materialism is corruption

  13. The Dark Romantics • Nathaniel Hawthorne, Edgar Allan Poe, Herman Melville • Believed what the Romantics did, but felt that at the core of everyone was a dark, sinister being • Has a lot of crazy or guilt-racked people in their stories

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