This site provides a concise biography of Haley, the video [12:28] "Alex Haley Interview Roots (Merv Griffin Show 1977)" and links to six of his books.

This is the text and audio of the novel Uncle Tom's Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe, an anti-slavery novel published in 1852, that was said to "helped lay the groundwork for the Civil War." It was the best-selling novel of the 19th...

This site, from Ann Woodlief's Introduction to American Romanticism (or the American Renaissance) defines the Romantic movement in American literature and discusses its major themes.

The Antislavery Literature Project is a collaborative electronic publishing venture that provides educational access to the literature and history of the antislavery movement in the United States that is crucial to understanding African...

A biography of African-American writer Alain Locke, chief interpreter of the Harlem Renaissance, the video [5:30] "Ossie Davis: Dr. Alain Leroy Locke's Influence," and links to three of his books.

Nice article discussing the lack of diversity in literature curriculum.

Read the full text of Mark Twain's short story "The Private History of a Campaign That Failed". With links to other short stories by American writers.

This site focuses on Zora Neale Hurston including a bibliography, the video [2:30] "Zora Neale Hurston: Jump at the Sun" and links to 11 of her books including her most famous work There Eyes Were Watching God.

Regional author, Rudolfo Anaya, is featured in this brief biography highlighting his contributions to American literature which draw upon his experiences as a Mexican American. See "Rudolfo Anaya Activities" for related resources.

In this American literature (1900-2000) creative research paper project, each student creates an original work of American historical fiction using his/her knowledge of the research process. Students identify and address the ways...

Background information about the literary traditions of the pre-Colonial and Colonial period. Includes information about Native American oral traditions and Native American cultures. Follow the links to the Early American era and to...

"The American Scholar" is a speech given by Ralph Waldo Emerson on August 31, 1837, to the Phi Beta Kappa Society at Cambridge, Massachusetts. He was invited to speak in recognition of his groundbreaking work "Nature" in which he...

A learning module with twenty-one links to texts, websites, videos, and quizzes on early American poets including Anne Bradstreet, William Cullen Bryant, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, and Edgar Allen Poe.

This is a phenomenal resource. It allows the user to create a reading list of quality children's literature based of choices such as reading level, type of book, genre, ethnicity, gender, etc. In addition, one can determine if a book won...

This curriculum unit is designed for third grade students to address the issue of diversity during many different core areas via the use of African-American children's literature. The unit incorporates a variety of children's books, both...

List of "Must read," multicultural literature for the adolescent reader. The books are categorized by the culture that they represent and by reading level. An excellent resource for teachers and students alike.

This site focuses on Ann Petry including a short biography, the video [10:12] "Ann Petry and Harlem's History" and links to seven of her literary works.

This is the text of Chapter 18 of Walden by transcendentalist Henry David Thoreau. By immersing himself in nature, Thoreau hoped to gain a more objective understanding of society through personal introspection. Simple living and...

This is the complete text of the novel The Ears of Twenty Americans by Gertrude Franklin Horn Atherton

The complete text of Douglass' "The Heroic Slave" with analysis by Robin Mac Donald in "Frederick Douglass' Revolutionary Revision". Complete with major symbols in the writing and an annotated bibliography.

This Bibliomania site surveys the literary history of the English in colonial Virginia. Includes analysis of the work of Captain John Smith, William Strachey, and George Sandys. Links to other notes about early American literature.

Mirandy and Brother Wind by Patricia C. McKissack is a Caldecott Honor Book, based on the cakewalk, a once popular dance in the African-American culture. This site contains a review of the book.

Learning module uses primary resources to take a look at the literature published during the Civil War and examines how it helped make sense of the war and the profound changes brought about.

Jewish American author Saul Bellow is featured in this biography identifying his literary contributions and his manner of drawing on the weaknesses of humanity. See "Saul Bellow Activities" for related materials.