American literature from 1600 through the 1850s - 1st ed.

Sep 20, 2026

Survey of American literary history and criticism spanning the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries, organized from early colonial writing through the American Renaissance. The guide includes discussion of major literary movements and representative authors, alongside chronological coverage of verse, drama, fiction, and key historical contexts shaping writers and readership. Includes bibliographical references and an index for research use.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryLiterature

FormatPDF

Pages238

Reading Time6 h 7 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

Chapter 1: Early American Literature

The State of Verse

Michael Wigglesworth

Bay Psalm Book

The Story of Mary Rowlandson

Chapter 2: The 18th Century

Great Awakening

Writers of the Revolution

Poor Richard

Thomas Paine

The New Nation

Chapter 3: Early 19th Century Literature

Washington Irving

James Fenimore Cooper

Edgar Allan Poe

Life and Writings

Chapter 4: The American Renaissance

The Transcendentalists

Henry David Thoreau

Slave Narrative

Hawthorne, Melville, and Whitman

Epilogue

Glossary

Bibliography

Index

Published in 2011 by Britannica Educational Publishing (a trademark of Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.) in association with Rosen Educational Services, LLC 29 East 21st Street, New York, NY 10010. Copyright © 2011 Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, and the Thistle logo are registered trademarks of Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. All rights reserved. Rosen Educational Services materials copyright © 2011 Rosen Educational Services, LLC. All rights reserved. Distributed exclusively by Rosen Educational Services. For a listing of additional Britannica Educational Publishing titles, call toll free (800) 237-9932. First Edition Britannica Educational Publishing Michael I. Levy: Executive Editor J.E. Luebering: Senior Manager Manager Marilyn L. Barton: Senior Coordinator, Production Control Steven Bosco: Director, Editorial Technologies Lisa S. Braucher: Senior Producer and Data Editor Yvette Charboneau: Senior CopyEditor Kathy Nakamura: Manager, Media Acquisition Adam Augustyn: Assistant Manager and Assistant Editor, Literature Rosen Educational Services Jeanne Nagle: Senior Editor Joanne Randolph: Editor Nelson Sá: Art Director Cindy Reiman: Photography Director Matthew Cauli: Designer, Cover Design Introduction by Greg Roza Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data American literature from 1600 through the 1850s / edited by Adam Augustyn.— 1st ed. [p. cm. --](p. cm. --) (The Britannica guide to world literature) “In association with Britannica Educational Publishing, Rosen Educational Services.”Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 978-1-61530-233-8 (eBook) 1. American literature—17th century—History and criticism. 2. American literature—18th century—History and criticism. 3. American literature—19th century—History and criticism. 4. American literature—17th century—Bio-bibliography. 5. American literature—18th century—Bio-bibliography. 6. American literature—19th century—Bio-bibliography. 7. Authors, American—17th century—Biography. 8. Authors, American—18th century—Biography. 9. Authors, American—19th century—Biography. I. Augustyn, Adam, 1979-PS185.A395 2011 810.9—dc22 2010004573 On the cover: American literature was entering a renaissance period by the time the works of Nathaniel Hawthorne (left) and Walt Whitman were published in the mid 1800s. SuperStock/ Getty Images (Hawthorne); Library of Congress Printsand Photographs Division (Whitman) Pages 20 (map), 222, 223, 225, 228 © [www.istockphoto.com/Vasko Miokovic](www.istockphoto.com/Vasko Miokovic); pp. 20 (books), 21, 33, 73, 120 © [www.istockphoto.com](www.istockphoto.com) Introduction: 10 Chapter 1: Early American Literature 21 John Smith 25 The State of Verse 25 Michael Wigglesworth 26 Bay Psalm Book 29 The Story of Mary Rowlandson 29 Chapter 2: The 18th Century 33 Great Awakening 34 Writers of the Revolution 36 Poor Richard 37 Thomas Paine 38 The New Nation 45 Notable Works of the Period 49 Poetry 49 Drama and the Novel 49 Other Signiﬁcant Figures of the Century 50 Joel Barlow 50 Robert Montgomery Bird 52 Hugh Henry Brackenridge 53 Charles Brockden Brown 54 William Hill Brown 56 William Byrd of Westover 57 Timothy Dwight 58 Olaudah Equiano 59 CONTENTS 55 22 31 38 Elizabeth Graeme Ferguson 62 Hannah Webster Foster 63 Philip Freneau 64 Sarah Kemble Knight 65 Sarah Wentworth Apthorp Morton 67 Susanna Rowson 68 Mercy Otis Warren 69 Phillis Wheatley 70 Chapter 3: Early 19thCentury Literature 73 Willliam Cullen Bryant 73 The North American Review 75 Washington Irving 76 James Fenimore Cooper 79 Early Years 79 Novels 82 Cultural and Political Involvement 85 Return to America 86 Edgar Allan Poe 100 Life and Writings 102 Appraisal 105 Sarah Helen Power Whitman 108 Other Signiﬁcant Writers of the Age 109 Maria Gowen Brooks 110 Joseph Dennie 11

FAQs

What time period does the book cover?

It covers American literature from the 1600s through the 1850s, with coverage that explicitly includes the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries.

Which literary areas are included?

The contents include verse, poetry, drama, the novel, and significant writers across multiple periods, culminating in the American Renaissance.

Does the book include research aids like references or an index?

Yes. It includes bibliographical references and an index, with additional sections such as a glossary and bibliography.

Sep 20, 2026

Uploaded by Lucas Martin