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Literature in U.S. History
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The Last of the Mohicans by James Fenimore Cooper
This was part of a series of novels known as the Leatherstocking Tales. Cooper created the first genuine Western heroes in American literature. His novels expressed the concept of the "noble savage". -
Common Sense by Thomas Paine
This was a pamphlet that called for independance from Great Britain. Paine strongly opposed monarchy and favored a republican government. Common Sense was influential in persuading people to support the revolutionary cause and overcome loyalty to the mother country. Paine used many biblical references to illustrate his points. -
Declaration of Independence
Written primarily by Thomas Jefferson. This document declared independence from Great Britain and listed major colonial grievances against King George III. The idea of "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness" was inspired by Enlightenment thinkers such as John Locke. -
The Federalist Papers
Written by Hamilton, Madison and Jay to support the ratification of the Constitution of 1987. These publications challenged conventional political wisdom by arguing that a large republic offered the best protection for the rights of the people. -
The Liberator by William Lloyd Garrison
This was a radical abolitionist newspaper that called for the "immediate and uncompensated emanciapation of the slaves". Garrison published weekly issues of The Liberator until the ratification of the Thirteenth Amendment abolished slavery in the U.S. -
Civil Disobedience: On the Duty of Civil Disobedience by Henry David Thoreau
Thoreau expressed opposition to the Mexican War and argued that individuals have a moral obligation to oppose unjust laws and actions by the government. His essay influenced Martin Luther King's nonviolent civil disobedience philosophy. -
The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne
This novel dealt with the legacy of Puritanism and explored the effects of sin. Taking place in 17th-century colonial Boston, the Scarlet Letter tells the story of Hester Prynne, a woman who must endure the consequences of commiting adultery. Hawthorne was a Dark Romantic writer. -
Uncle Tom's Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe
Uncle Tom's Cabin was a highly-influential anti-slavery novel that strengthened Northern opposition to slavery before the civil war. The novel aroused sympathy towards black slaves and was second only to the Bible in sales during the time. -
Walden by Henry David Thoreau
This was a Transcendentalist novel expressing Thoreau's ideas about leading a simple and contemplative life. He believed that truth is revealed through inner reflection and unity with nature. -
A Century of Dishonor by Helen Hunt Jackson
Her book aroused public awareness of the U.S. governent's long record of abuses and betrayals in dealing with Native Americans. -
Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain
This was a quintessential American novel about a young, adventurous boy named Huck Finn. Twain captures the essence of Southern life while simultaneously making social commentary about the injustices of slavery. -
The Influence of Sea Power upon History by Captain Alfred Mahan
Mahan argued that control of the sea was key to world dominance. The book was influential in promoting the growth of the U.S. naval power in the late nineteenth century. Also influenced American Imperialism. -
How the Other Half Lives by Jacop Riis
Riis was a journalist and photographer who worked primarily in New York City. His book gave a somber portrayal of the human poverty and despair experienced by immigrants who lived in New York City's Lower East Side. -
The Significance of the Frontier in American History by Frederick Jackson Turner
Philosophy is called the "Frontier Thesis" or the "Turner Thesis". Turner argued that the development of American individualism and democracy was shaped by the frontier experience. He focused on the absence of a feudal aristocracy. -
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum
This was a children's novel later adapted into a 1939 film and Broadway play. It can be interpreted as political commentary on free silver and the struggles of American farmers. Dorothy represents the naivity of the American people. -
The Jungle by Upton Sinclair
This novel exposed the horrifying and unsanitary conditions in the Chicago meatpacking industry, It was a muckracking novel that helped bring about the passage of the Pure Food and Drug Act and the Meat Inspection Act of 1906. Sinclair later said of his novel, "I aimed at the public's heart, and by accident I hit it in the stomach". -
Pragmatism by William James
His idea of pragmatism was that truth should be tested by action or experience rather than theories. William James and other pragmatists did not believe in the existance of absolute truth. -
The Great Gatsby by Scott F. Fitzgerald
The novel is set during the Roaring Twenties when Americans were thriving from the prosperity of the post-war decade. The protagonist, Gatsby, represents the American dream of self-made wealth and happiness. Fitzgerald's novel reflects disillusionment of America in the '20s when moral values were lost to ambitions toward social status and materialism. Fitzgerald was part of the "Lost Generation" of writers. -
Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck
This novel depicts the plight of the Joad family who were forced to leave their farms in Oklahoma (because of the Dust Bowl) in search for work in California. Set in the Great Depression of the 1930's, Steinbeck humanizes the struggles of the migrants. -
On the Road by Jack Kerouac
This was considered a defining novel of the Beat Generation of the 1950s. The post-war Beat Generation was inspired by jazz, poetry and drug experiences. The novel expresses the alienation and disillusionment of the era. Kerouac rejected middle-class conformity and materialism. -
Silent Spring by Rachel Carson
Her work protested the contamination/pollution of the air, land and water with chemical pesticides such as DDT. This novel is often credited with helping spark the environmental movement in the United States. -
Letter from Birmingham Jail by Martin Luther King Jr.
This was a letter in which Dr. King argued that citizens have "a moral responsibility to disobey unjust laws". He was influenced by Thoreau's idea of civil disobedience. This letter played a key role in raising awareness for the civil rights movement of the 1960's.
