American Literature

Learn about the American literature history, facts and known writers

American literature, the body of written works produced in the English language in the United States.

Top Questions

When did American literature begin?

Literature has existed in the Americas for as long as the people who lived there have been telling stories. Native American cultures have a rich history of oral literature. Mayan books from as far back as the 5th century are known, and it is believed that the Maya started writing things down centuries before that. As a specific discipline viewed through the lens of European literature, American literature began in the early 17th century with the arrival of English-speaking Europeans in what would become the United States.

Who are some important authors of American literature?

Notable authors of American literature include: John Smith, who wrote some of its earliest works; Phillis Wheatley, who wrote the first African American book; Edgar Allan Poe, a standout of the Romantic era; Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, a celebrated poet; Emily Dickinson, a woman who wrote poetry at a time when the field was largely dominated by men; Mark Twain, a master of humour and realism; Ernest Hemingway, a novelist who articulated the disillusionment of the Lost Generation; and Toni Morrison, a writer who centred her works on the black experience and received a Nobel Prize in 1993.

What are the periods of American literature?

American literature is often divided into five major periods:

The Colonial and Early National period (17th century to 1830)

The Romantic period (1830 to 1870)

Realism and Naturalism (1870 to 1910)

The Modernist period (1910 to 1945)

The Contemporary period (1945 to present)

Check out american literature application to learn :

• American literature introduction

• The 17th century

• The 18th century

• Early 19th-century literature

• Early 19th-century literature

• From the Civil War to 1914

• After World War II

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