1800-1855
ROMANTICISM&THENEWENGLANDRENAISSANCE
SocialScene• 5millionin1800• 25millionby1850
SocialScene• Nationalism
• Surgeinnationalprideandidentity• “ManifestDestiny”:destinedbyGodtoexpandandspreaddemocracy
• Diversity• “AmericanExperience”• English,Irish,German,Belgian,French,Catholic,Protestant,Mormon
• EconomicStability• Withstabilitycomesleisure• Withleisurecomescreativity• NewYorkandBostonbecomecentersofcommerceandculture
PoliticalScene• 1801-1809:Jeffersonpresident• WestwardExpansionand“ManifestDestiny”• 1803:LouisianaPurchase—doublessizeofAmerica
• 1804-1805:LewisandClark—firsttoreachPacificoverland
• 1812-1815:War
• 1820:MissouriCompromise• 1830:IndianRemovalAct
• 1846-1848:Mexican-AmericanWar• 1848:Gold!
• “ItisthemanifestdestinyoftheUnitedStatestooverspreadandtopossessthewholeofthecontinentwhichprovidencehasgivenusforthedevelopmentofthegreatexperimentoflibertyandfederatedself-governmententrustedtous.”
–NewYorkMorningNews
LiteraryScene• For200yearsAmericahasbeendominatedbyEuropeanliterature• However,withgreaterleisuretimeandpoliticalstability,Americanliteraturenowhastimetogrowbeyondthepracticalandpolitical
• WritingcommunitiesspringuparoundNewEngland• Writingbecomesaprofessionforthefirsttime• Romanticismisborn• Romanticismhasnothingtodowithlove• Romanticismemphasizesemotion,imagination,thesupernatural,andattimesthedarker,melancholyaspectsofnatureandman
FeaturesofRomanticism1. ImaginationoverReason2. IntuitionoverFacts3. IndividualaboveSociety4. NatureasWildandChaotic—butFascinating
• RomanticismisareactionagainsttheEnlightenment• Insteadofemphasizingreasonandlogic,Romanticsexploreimaginationandintuition
• Insteadofemphasizingscientificobservation,Romanticsexplorethebeautyofmystery
• Aboveall,Romanticsarefascinatedbytherelationshipbetweennatureandtheinnerself