Bartleby
Bartleby.com: Cambridge History of Eng and Am Lit: Cavalier and Puritan
A wonderful website with a plethora of links to information on poets, Cavalier writers, the Sacred poets, the origin of the couplet, the lesser Caroline poets, as well as political writing.
Bartleby
Bartleby.com: Cambridge History of Eng and Am Lit: Beginnings of Verse:1610 1808
Provides a brief background about the lack of poetry writing in the early literature of the Middle and Southern colonies.
PBS
Pbs: The American Novel: Literary Timeline: Literary Movements: Modernism
Background on the literary time period known as Modernism, including characteristics of writing at this time as well as a list of important modernist authors.
US Government Publishing Office
Ben's Guide to u.s. Government: Declaration of Independence
Written for students, a full text and explanation of the Declaration of Independence, its authors, and background in the American Revolution. Links to related resources.
Other
Baltimore County Public Schools: American Individualism
Baltimore County Public Schools provides a compilation of resources to aid research on the concept of American individualism as evidenced in American literature of the nineteenth century.
Annenberg Foundation
Annenberg Learner: American Passages: Slavery and Freedom: Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln is featured in this brief biography highlighting his ability to clearly communicate American ideals both as writer and orator. See "Abraham Lincoln Activities" for related materials.
Internet Infidels
Thomas Paine: Essays
Selected full texts of Paine's Age of Reason, The Rights of Man, as well as lesser known writings on religious themes, slavery, and the like.
Washington State University
Washington State University: Timeline of American Literature 1840 1849
Compare the events of the country to the literature being produced at the time of the early 19th century.
Washington State University
Washington State University: Timeline of American Literature 1750 1799
Timeline of the social, political, and literary history of Colonial America and the United States, from 1750 to 1799. Contains information about writers of the period, along with portraits and links to related websites.
Washington State University
Washington State University: Timeline of American Literature & Events, Pre 1650 1929
Timeline of the social, political, and literary history of America from pre-1650 through 1929. Contains information on writers of the periods, along with links to related websites. Click on the time period to see the information for that...
Bill Carson
Puritan and Reformed Writings: The Poems of Edward Taylor
Biographical information with an emphasis on personality and poetic themes of Edward Taylor. Contains a list, opening lines, and links to Taylor's major works. Contains quotations from critics.
Maine Historical Society
Maine Historical Society: Longfellow Amongst His Contemporaries: The Ship of State Dbq
Using a number of primary source documents, students will assess the validity of a claim. Practice for testing that includes DBQs, and for critical thinking, close reading skills.
Texas Education Agency
Texas Gateway: Diction and Tone (English Ii Reading)
Evaluate the role of diction and tone in literary nonfiction such as speeches, essays, and other forms.
University of North Carolina
University of North Carolina: Narratives of Amer. South
This site by The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, part of the 'Documenting the American South' project, contains information and texts about first-person narratives of the American south. These documents give the viewpoint of...
Lumen Learning
Lumen: A Short History of the Early American Novel
This article is a brief history of the Early American novel with citations.
Lumen Learning
Lumen: History of American Literature
This article features a brief history of American literature.
Lumen Learning
Lumen: Rhetorical Reading: Practice: Rhetorical Context
This is a practice activity to see if students can identify the writer's rhetorical context.
Lumen Learning
Lumen: Writing About Literature: Additional Resources
This is "'The Legend of Sleepy Hollow': An Allegory for a Young America," an exceptional student example of literary analysis as well as an explanation to the main body of her paper. A link to the MLA website is also provided.
University of Groningen
American History: Outlines: Early American and Colonial Period to 1776
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...
W. W. Norton
Norton Anthology: Twentieth Century Topics
Explore the world of Twentieth Century British literature through this informative site. Find out how and why Georgian and Modernism movements developed. Includes a quiz.
CommonLit
Common Lit: Text Sets: The American Revolution
Collection of 17 Grade-Leveled texts (4-12) on the topic "The American Revolution." Learn about the events leading up to America's Revolutionary War for independence from Britain and how the war was won. [Free account registration...
CommonLit
Common Lit: Text Sets: Founding the United States
This is a collection of 15 Grade-Leveled texts (5-12) on the topic The Founding of America. Once the Revolutionary War was over, America's Founding Fathers had to develop a nation. Learn about the founding of American democracy, from the...
British Library
British Library: Discovering Literature: Language and Ideas
From Johnson's Dictionary to letter-writing, newspapers and coffee-house culture: explore how different forms and mediums helped to develop and circulate language and ideas during the long 18th century.
British Library
British Library: Discovering Literature: Politics and Religion
The Civil Wars and the Restoration of the monarchy, the Enlightenment or 'Age of Reason', and British colonialism: investigate the political and religious contexts of Restoration and 18th-century literature.