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Realism: 1850-1915. Slavery in America. The south supported slavery Abe Lincoln was elected president in 1860 Lincoln was anti-slavery. Slavery in America. Abolitionists wanted to ban slavery The "industrial" north wanted to abolish slavery. Slavery in America.
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Slavery in America • The south supported slavery • Abe Lincoln was elected president in 1860 • Lincoln was anti-slavery
Slavery in America • Abolitionists wanted to ban slavery • The "industrial" north wanted to abolish slavery
Slavery in America • The civil war broke out: 1861-1865 • North vs south • Union vs confederacy (Blue vs Grey) • "Uncle Tom's Cabin" by Harriet Beecher Stowe (famous novel about the horrors of slavery)
Industrial Revolution • 1880's • The telephone was invented by Alexander Graham Bell • Electricity was invented • The phonograph was invented
Industrial Revolution • The cotton gin was invented by Eli Whitney • The framework for the first automobile was developed • All of these inventions were important in the advancement of the U.S.
Population • Between 1865-1914, 22 million people immigrated to the U.S., many through Ellis Island • Westward expansion began because the cities in the east became overcrowded • Life in the west (frontier life) was very harsh and primitive
Wealth in America • There were very few wealthy people, they were called "The Captains of Industry" • John D Rockefeller = oil • Andrew Carnegie = steel • J P Morgan = banking
Wealth in America • Immigrants viewed America as the "Land of Opportunity" • They believed that the streets in the US were "paved with gold," that everyone was rich, and they thought they could easily become rich as well
Wealth in America • This idea led Mark Twain to term this time period "The Gilded Age" • To gild = to cover something of poor quality with gold (gold-plated)
Women • Could not vote • Not treated equally • Primary role was to be homemakers
Important Literary Movements • The ideas of romanticism were abandoned for two reasons: • The civil war was tragic • Life on the frontier was difficult
Realism • Focuses on real events and ordinary people • Characters and events were portrayed in an objective (factual) way
Naturalism • Developed from realism (focused on real events and ordinary people) but characters were portrayed as having no control over their own lives • Lives controlled by environment, heredity and fate • Writing was very negative (pessimistic)
Regionalism • Focuses on areas of he U.S. • Writers used "regional dialect" (different expressions) • Used vivid descriptions of the landscape so people could visualize areas • Most popular literary movement during this time because people were interested about different sections of the country they had never seen
JournalTopic: New Year • "Tomorrow is the first blank page of a 365 page book. Write a good one." - Brad Paisley • What will your "book" be about?