Division, Reconciliation,

and Expansion 1850-

1914Literature of the Civil War and the

Frontier

Snapshot of the Period

These years saw great These years saw great transformation.transformation.

We went from an We went from an agricultural nation to a agricultural nation to a modern industrial power.modern industrial power.

This happened in the This happened in the years leading up to the years leading up to the Civil War.Civil War.

The North and South The North and South fought for power.fought for power.

Each had notable Each had notable strengths.strengths.

When it was all over the When it was all over the North had won, the Union North had won, the Union was held, and slavery was held, and slavery was abolished.was abolished.

It was a DEVASTATING It was a DEVASTATING cost!cost!

Historical Background (1850-1914)

Prelude to WarPrelude to War

Brother Against BrotherBrother Against Brother

Americans Go WestAmericans Go West

The Frontier DisappearsThe Frontier Disappears

The Electric SocietyThe Electric Society

Painful Growth and Electric Change

The Civil War left the nation physically, The Civil War left the nation physically, economically, and emotionally devastated.economically, and emotionally devastated.

Riding the railroad, Americans moved West Riding the railroad, Americans moved West and annihilated the frontier.and annihilated the frontier.

The Age of Electricity transformed every day The Age of Electricity transformed every day life. Cities, with all their pleasures and life. Cities, with all their pleasures and problems, expanded rapidly.problems, expanded rapidly.

What Literary Forms Did Writers Use to Discuss

Social and Political Issues During This Period?

Spirituals Spirituals

Life StoriesLife Stories

Fiction and Fiction and JournalismJournalism

How Did Popular Literature Reflect the Era’s

Social and Political Issues?

Rags to RichesRags to Riches

Twists and TurnsTwists and Turns

The West and the The West and the WizardWizard

How Did Social and Political Issues Lead

to Realism and Naturalism?

The Common Life

Writers focused on Writers focused on creating portrayals of real creating portrayals of real life ordinary people. life ordinary people.

They showed characters in They showed characters in a honest and factual way.a honest and factual way.

Naturalism

The belief that forces far The belief that forces far more powerful than any more powerful than any individual shaped individuals.individual shaped individuals.

Nature, blind fate, heredity Nature, blind fate, heredity and chance determined lives.and chance determined lives.

Theme: Human endurance in Theme: Human endurance in the face of overwhelming the face of overwhelming natural forces pervades.natural forces pervades.

What Elements of Physical Environment

Affected Northern Writers’ Attitudes?

IndustryIndustry

Urban LifeUrban Life

How Did Expressions of Place Show Up in

Literature?

Local ColorLocal Color

Urban Urban SophisticationSophistication

What Literary Elements Contributed to an

American Style?

Settings and PlotsSettings and Plots

Dialogue and StyleDialogue and Style

HumorHumor

What Roles Did Writers Play in Shaping

American Identity?

Writer as a Realist

In the first half of the century In the first half of the century Romanticism dominated.Romanticism dominated.

After the horrors of the Civil After the horrors of the Civil War there was a rise in a more War there was a rise in a more objective attitude toward the objective attitude toward the world and human affairs.world and human affairs.

Hard fact took more of a role.Hard fact took more of a role.

Writer as a Naturalist

These writers were These writers were detached. detached.

They were influenced by They were influenced by Darwin, Marx, and Zola.Darwin, Marx, and Zola.

They believed that They believed that heredity, environment, and heredity, environment, and social conditions social conditions determined people’s determined people’s actions.actions.

At the Dawn of the Twentieth Century,

What Did Literature Reveal About

American Attitudes?

PragmatismPragmatism

Loss of IdealismLoss of Idealism

Democracy Democracy

ScienceScience