Dates: 1607-1775

Major Events: colonization (1492), Revolutionary War (1775), Puritans arrive (1630)

Major Authors: John Winthrop, Anne Bradstreet, Jonathan Edwards

Dates: 1776-1820s

Major Events: American Revolution (1765-1791), Declaration of Independence (1776), 30 Years War (1618)

Major Authors: Thomas Jefferson, Phillis Wheatley, Kamau Brathwaite

Time Period: Enlightenment

Dates: Published and set in 1776

POV: 1st person

Themes: independence, injustice, government, war, freedom

Connection:

     During the Enlightenment, the Declaration of Independence was written to gain freedom from Great Britain. The author wrote, “The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations…” (Jefferson, 2). The reader can understand how the King of Britain’s reputation was in America. They wanted to get out of the rule of this country. Independence was a major theme in the Declaration of Independence. Jefferson states, “For cutting off our trade with all parts of the world” (3). This quote demonstrates how the King controlled America and does not give them many rights.

Time Period: Romanticism

Dates: Set in 1642 and published in 1850

POV: 3rd person

Themes: revenge, sin, individuality, nature, guilt

Connection:

     Although the Salem Witch Trials were an event that took place when The Scarlet Letter was set, it was written during the Romanticism period. The Salem Witch Trials did not occur during this period. Hawthorne writes, “It might be, too, that a witch, like old Mistress Hibbins, the bitter-tempered widow of the magistrate” (43). This quote represents how people assumed people to be witches if they were the slightest bit off. Hester states, “‘Be it sin or no,’ …‘I hate the man!’ (168). This quote depicts how sin is a theme because people are hated when they sin.

Dates: 1840s-1860s

Major Events: Emerson’s grievances (1832), Ralph Waldo Emerson's "Nature” (1836), Assassination of Abraham Lincoln (1865)

Major authors: Ralph Waldo Emerson, Walt Whitman, Emily Dickenson

Time Period: Transcendentalism

Dates: Set and published in 1865

POV: 1st person

Themes: fear, trust, nature, determination, death

Connection: 

     The assassination of Abraham Lincoln shocked America. As Walt Whitman writes, “My Captain does not answer, his lips are pale and still… he has no pulse nor will” (17-18). This relates to how Lincoln, thge metaphorical captain, died. This made people very sad and did not know what to do. Whitman also portrays the theme of determination by articulating, “From fearful trip the victor ship comes in the object won” (20). The reader can learn that even with hardships, you are still able to succeed with determination.

Dates: 1860s-1900

Major events: Civil War (1861-1865), Reconstruction era (post civil war), Civil rights movement (1960s), 

Major Authors/works: Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, Frederick Douglass, Harriet Tubman

Dates: Published in 1845 and set in 1822

Time period: slave narrative

POV: 1st person

Themes: violence, loss of innocence, truth, unspeakable, ignorance

Connection:

     Slavery was a very prominent and controversial event that happened in America during this time. In the autobiography, Douglass writes, “Slaves sing most when they are most unhappy. The songs of the slave represent the sorrows of his heart…” (9). This excerpt depicts the troubles and hardships that slaves had to go through. Violence was a major theme throughout the autobiography. Douglass illustrates violence when he witnesses his aunt get beat. Douglass states, “I never shall forget it whilst I remember any thing” (4). This quote demonstrates how much of an impact violence has had in his life.

Time Period: Modernism

Years: roughly 1901-1950

Major Historical Events: World War I (1914-1918), The Great Depression (1929-1939), World War II (1939-1945, America entered 1941), the Holocaust (1941-1945), Harlem Renaissance (1918-1937), airplanes (1903), roaring 20s (1920s)

Major authors: F. Scott Fitzgerald, Zora Neale Hurston, Gertrude Stein, Ralph Ellison, Ernest Hemingway, William Faulkner, etc.

Time Period: Modernism

Dates: Published in 1925 & Set in 1922

Point of View: First person

Themes: The American Dream, wealth, class, love, isolation

Connection:

     The roaring twenties was a prominent time for parties, alcohol, and sports. In the novel, The Great Gatsby, the roaring twenties is depicted as, “It’s a great advantage not to drink among hard-drinking people.” (Fitzgerald, 49). This illustrates how people acted during the roaring twenties. The theme, the American Dream, is portrayed when Fitzgerald writes, “... he stretched out his arm towards the dark water in a curious way, and, far as I was from him, I could have sworn he was trembling” (18). This symbolism represents the American Dream and how many people strive to achieve it.