10 Questions
What was the significance of July 4, 1776?
The Declaration of Independence
Which European thinkers influenced the American Enlightenment?
John Locke, Voltaire, Montesquieu, and Rousseau
What was the main theme of American Romanticism?
Rejection of classicism and the Age of Reason
Who was the first great fiction writer of American Romanticism?
Washington Irving
What was the title of Washington Irving's 1809 publication?
History of New York by Diedrich Knickerbocker
What was the significance of 1787 in American history?
The drafting of the Constitution
Who were the Committee of Five?
Roger Sherman, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, and Robert Livingstone
What was the main idea of republicanism during the American Enlightenment?
Rejection of despotic monarchy and promotion of justice and tolerance
What was the significance of 1800-1865 in American literary history?
The growth of a national literature and American Romanticism
What was the title of Washington Irving's 1819-1820 publication?
The Sketchbook of Geoffrey Crayon
Study Notes
The Revolutionary Period and the New Republic
- The Revolutionary War took place from 1775 to 1783.
- The Declaration of Independence was signed on July 4, 1776.
- The Constitution was drafted in 1787 by the Founding Fathers.
- George Washington became the first President of the USA on April 30, 1789.
The American Enlightenment: The Age of Reason
- European influences on American Enlightenment: John Locke, Voltaire, Montesquieu, and Rousseau.
- The Enlightenment promoted scientific reasoning, religious tolerance, and ideals of justice.
- The Founding Fathers involved in the Enlightenment were Roger Sherman, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, and Robert Livingstone, known as the Committee of Five.
- The Enlightenment ideals opposed monarchy and instead promoted republicanism and deism.
The Revolutionary Period and Literature (1800-1865)
- The American Frontier and Manifest Destiny marked this period.
- American Romanticism emerged, rejecting classicism and the Age of Reason.
- Characteristics of American Romanticism: importance of feelings, power of imagination, individualism, interest in natural scenery, optimism, and social reforms.
- An attempt was made to establish an independent American literature.
The Knickerbockers
- Washington Irving (1783-1859) was the first great American Romantic fiction writer.
- He wrote prose fiction, picturesque, and American humor.
- Published "A History of New York" in 1809 under the pseudonym Diedrich Knickerbocker.
- Published "The Sketchbook of Geoffrey Crayon" in 1819-1820, which included "Rip Van Winkle" (1819) and "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" (1820).
Explore the key events and figures of the American Revolutionary Period and the Enlightenment era, from the Declaration of Independence to the Founding Fathers and influential European thinkers.
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