American History Through Literature, 1820-1870

Book excerpt: These interdisciplinary works provide a standard reference for American literature in its broadest cultural context, offering a comprehensive overview of American history through a literary lens. The first set presents a unique overview of the critical period, which spans the early national era through the Civil War, and which witnessed the birth of a truly American literature. The second set covers the era following the Civil War through to the emergence of the United States as a world power at the end of the First World War.