This resource provides a wealth of information about the period of American literature from 1860-1914. There are eight good articles discussing the movements of realism, regionalism, and naturalism, the rise of black American literature,...

This lesson is an introduction to a unit on Colonial Literature including Native American oral literature and New England Puritan narratives, journals, and sermons. It features an interactive list of terms for the period, a link to the...

This lesson is an introduction to a unit on The Harlem Renaissance, the period between the end of WW I through mid 1930s when African Americans were recognized for their literature, music, and art. It discusses their themes and lists...

This is an introduction to a unit on Rationalism, also known as The Age of Reason or Enlightenment, was set during the American Revolutionary period. It focuses on the belief that the power of reason and science would further human...

This lesson is an introduction to a unit on American Romanticism, from about 1800 to 1850. It defines the types of writing of the period and the power of poetry including the Fireside Poets: Longfellow, Bryant, Whittier, Lowell, and...

An online companion site for an exhibit showing at the Anacostia Community Museum. Read biographical information on many African American writers while viewing video clips and photos.

This lesson focuses on defining the literary terms in American Romanticism. It features a list of terms and an interactive crossword puzzle using them.

This lesson focuses on the spirituals sung by the African American slaves as a way to express feeling and relay information in coded messages. as well as, to pass the time. It includes a PDF of the lyrics to two spirituals, "Go Down,...

This lesson from a unit on American Transcendentalism focuses on Walt Whitman and his invention of the American free verse. It includes links to his poems "Song of Myself" and "When I Heard the Learn'd Astronomer." It provides...

This lesson from a unit on American Transcendentalism focuses on Emily Dickinson and her poetry. It includes links to a Discovery Education video: "Emily Dickinson, 1830-1886: An Overview of Her Work" (registration required) and four of...

This lesson focuses on the vocabulary terms to describe the writing for the period of American Realism and is followed by an interactice crossword puzzle using the vocabulary.

This lesson focuses on Rhetoric and the literary techniques used in American Revolutionary speeches and writings. Students are asked to determine the rhetorical devices used in quotes from "The Crisis No 1" by Thomas Paine and Patrick...

This lesson focuses on Benjamin Franklin's life by providing background information about Franklin including his apprentice to his brother, his "Silence Dogood" column, his autobiograpy, "Poor Richard's Almanack," and his political...

This lesson from a unit on American Transcendentalism focuses on Henry David Thoreau's Walden, a book about his living a frugal life in a secluded life in a cabin on Walden Pond. Links are provided to a Discovery Education video about...

Educated white men weren't the only ones contributing to a truly American literature. Read about the literature written by Native Americans, African Americans, Mexican Americans, and Irish Americans. All added to the melting pot of...

This PBS site explores African-American literature from its beginnings to the present. Includes an on-line study guide.

The textbook entitled Teaching Literature to Adolescents, 2nd Edition contains activities links for American Literature. Intended for teachers and students, this site contains web links that provide many ways to assist and assess...

This site from the African American Literature Book Club provides a great narrative on the life of Olaudah Equinao entitled, "They Carry Off As Many As they Can Seize." The text is somewhat in-depth and worth checking out on the subject.

This site includes the author's credits as an editor and playwright, a biography, and links to three of his books.

A side-by-side timeline of political and social history alongside literature of the time period. A very interesting look at the literature that reflected the times.

This unit revolves around various social realist authors during the Gilded Age in America. Click the tabs for the list of authors, timeline, video and activities.

A proponent of social and environmental rights, Henry David Thoreau is featured in this brief biography highlighting his contributions to literature. See Teaching Tips and Author Questions for discussion ideas.

This document is a guide to an Annenberg video, but it contains a wealth of information that is also useful independently. These thirty-four pages offer background information and activity suggestions relating to Gothic undercurrents in...

This biography features Edgar Allan Poe who introduced the genre of horror and mystery to literature in the nineteenth century with stories such as "The Raven."