Early American Literature, 1776-1820 (Research Guide to American Literature)

222 Pages·2016·1.48 MB·English

by  Bruccoli Clark Layman

Research Guide
to American Literature
Part II
Study G uides
Early American Literature
on General Topics
=
1776–1820
Z
Research Guide
to American Literature
=
Volume 1: Colonial Literature, 1607–1776
Volume 2: Early American Literature, 1776–1820
Volume 3: Romanticism and Transcendentalism, 1820–1865
Volume 4: Realism and Regionalism, 1865–1914
Volume 5: American Modernism, 1914–1945
Volume 6: Postwar Literature, 1945–1970
Volume 7: Contemporary Literature, 1970 to Present
Research Guide
to American Literature
Part II

Study Guides
Early American Literature
on General Topics
177=6–1820
Z
Angela Vietto
Eastern Illinois University
A Bruccoli Clark Layman Book
Research Guide to American Literature: Early American Literature, 1776–1820
Copyright © 2010 by Angela Vietto
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Research guide to American literature. -- New ed.
p. cm.
“A Bruccoli Clark Layman book.”
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 978-0-8160-7861-5 (v. 1 : acid-free paper)—ISBN 978-0-8160-7862-2
(v. 2 : acid-free paper)—ISBN 978-0-8160-7863-9 (v. 3 : acid-free paper)—ISBN
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7867-7 (v. 7 : acid-free paper)—ISBN 978-1-4381-3243-3 (v. 2: E-book) 1. American
literature—Research—Methodology—Handbooks, manuals, etc. 2. American litera-
ture—History and criticism. 3. Canon (Literature) I. Franklin, Benjamin, 1939– II.
Vietto, Angela III. Habich, Robert D., 1951– IV. Quirk, Tom, 1946– V. Scharnhorst,
Gary. VI. Anderson, George Parker, 1957– VII. Cusatis, John. VIII. Moser, Linda
Trinh, 1964– IX. West, Kathryn, 1962– X. Facts on File, Inc.
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Contents
=
Acknowledgments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .xi
Series Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .xiii
Part I: OvervIew . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3
Boundaries of the Period . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3
Dominant Genres and Literary Forms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5
Poetry 5
Nonfiction: Autobiography, Letters, Essays 6
Novels 6
Sentimental Fiction 7
Picaresque Fiction 7
Gothic Fiction 8
Historical and Social Context . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Revolution and Confederation (1775–1787) 10
Constitution and Federalism (1787–1801) 11
Constitution and Bill of Rights 11
Washington Administration (1789–1797) 11
Adams Administration (1797–1801) 12
The Democratic-Republicans (1801–1825) 12
Jefferson Administration (1801–1809) 12
Madison Administration (1809–1817) 13
Monroe Administration (1817–1825) 13
Social Issues and Literature 13
The Material Conditions of Literary Production 15
Literary Influences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Evolution of Critical Opinion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Part II: Study GuIdeS On General tOPIcS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Political Debate and Print Culture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .25
Letters as Literature . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28
Biography and Autobiography: Stranger Than Fiction . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Poetry and Social Class . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Travel: Nonfiction and Fiction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .38
Essays, Magazines, and Nation-Building . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
Satire and Parody . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
Sentimental Novels: Love, Seduction, and Scandal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
Plays: On the Stage and In the Closet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
Writing about Race and Gender . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
Part III: Study GuIdeS On wOrkS and wrIterS . . . . . . . . .61
John and Abigail Adams
Familiar Letters of John Adams and His Wife Abigail,
During the Revolution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .61
Joel Barlow, The Vision of Columbus, A Poem in Nine Books . . . . . . .65
Ann Eliza Bleecker and Margaretta Faugeres
The Posthumous Works of Ann Eliza Bleecker in Prose and
Verse. To which is added, A Collection of Essays, Prose and
Poetical, by Margaretta V. Faugeres . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .69
Hugh Henry Brackenridge, Modern Chivalry,
Containing the Adventures of Captain John Farrago,
and Teague Oregan, His Servant. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .73
Charles Brockden Brown, Arthur Mervyn, Or,
Memoirs of the Year 1793 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .77
Charles Brockden Brown, Edgar Huntly; or,
Memoirs of a Sleep-Walker . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .81
Charles Brockden Brown, Wieland . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .85
William Hill Brown, The Power of Sympathy,
or, The Triumph of Nature. Founded in Truth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .89
William Clark, Meriwether Lewis, and others
Journals of the Lewis and Clark Expedition.
History of the Expedition under the Command
of Captains Lewis and Clark . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .93
J. Hector St. John [de Crèvecoeur]
Letters from an American Farmer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .96
Olaudah Equiano, The Interesting Narrative of the
Life of Olaudah Equiano or Gustavus Vassa, the African . . . . . . . .101
Hannah Webster Foster, The Coquette, or the
History of Eliza Wharton; A Novel Founded on Fact . . . . . . . . . . . .104
Benjamin Franklin, The Autobiography of
Benjamin Franklin, A Genetic Text . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .108
Benjamin Franklin, “Speech in the Convention
at the Conclusion of Its Deliberations” ....................112
Philip Freneau, Poems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .116
Alexander Hamilton, James Madison,
and John Jay, The Federalist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .120
Lemuel Haynes, Liberty Further Extended:
Or, Free Thoughts on the Illegality of Slave-Keeping . . . . . . . . . . . .124
Washington Irving, “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow,”
The Sketch Book of Geoffrey Crayon .........................126
Washington Irving, “Rip Van Winkle,” The Sketch Book
of Geoffrey Crayon ......................................130
Thomas Jefferson, The Declaration of Independence . . . . . . . . . . .133
Thomas Jefferson, Notes on the State of Virginia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .137
John Marrant, A Narrative of the Lord’s Wonderful Dealings
with John Marrant, a Black . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .141
Judith Sargent Murray, The Gleaner:
A Miscellaneous Production . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .145
Thomas Paine, The Age of Reason: Being an Investigation
of True and Fabulous Theology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .148
Thomas Paine, Common Sense . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .152
Susanna Rowson, Charlotte Temple; Charlotte,
A Tale of Truth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .156
Rebecca Rush, Kelroy.....................................160
Tabitha Tenney, Female Quixotism: Exhibited in the
Romantic Opinions and Extravagant Adventures of
Dorcasina Sheldon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .163
Royall Tyler, The Contrast, A Comedy, in Five Acts . . . . . . . . . . . . . .167
Mercy Otis Warren, History of the Rise, Progress
and Termination of the American Revolution, Interspersed
with Biographical, Political and Moral Observations . . . . . . . . . . . .171
Noah Webster, Grammatical Institutes of the
English Language . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .175