American Literature timeline
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Walt Whitman is Born
Walt Whitman, American poet, journalist, and essayist, was born on May 31, 1819, in West Hills, New York. His verse collection Leaves of Grass is... Read more
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A 20-Ton Sperm Whale Sinks the Whaling Ship Essex
On 20 November, The Essex sighted a school of whales, and all three boats set off in pursuit. But Chase had bad luck again, as a whale immediately... Read more
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Rebecca Harding Davis is Born
Rebecca Blaine Harding Davis (1831-1910; born Rebecca Blaine Harding) was an American author and journalist. She is deemed a pioneer of literary... Read more
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'The Scarlet Letter' is Published
The truth is that the situation selected by Hawthorne has more scope and depth than the one which he passed over. It is with the subjective... Read more
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'Moby Dick' is Published
Its reputation invariably preceding it, Herman Melville's Moby-Dick is a novel like no other. Whether readers expect a subtle work of art, a... Read more
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"Walden" is Published
Thoreau was 27 when he took up residence in the cabin by Walden Pond; he had graduated from Harvard 19th in his class, tried teaching, helped his... Read more
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The First Edition of Walt Whitman's "Leaves of Grass" Is Published
When Walt Whitman published his first edition of Leaves of Grass on or around the fourth day of July in 1855, he believed he was embarking on a... Read more
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'Great Expectations' is Published
The plot of Great Expectations is also noticeable as indicating, better than any of his previous stories, the individuality of Dickens's genius.... Read more
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Walt Whitman Publishes "Beat! Beat! Drums!" During The Civil War
As the American Civil War was beginning, Whitman published his poem "Beat! Beat! Drums!" as a patriotic rally call for the North. Whitman's brother... Read more
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"Life in the Iron Mills" is Published
Life in the Iron Mills must be considered a central text in the origins of American realism, American proletarian literature, and American... Read more
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Henry James' First Short Story "A Tragedy of Error" Is Published
A Tragedy of Error is the title of a short story by American writer Henry James, his first, written at the age of 21 and published anonymously in... Read more
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Walt Whitman Publishes "O Captain! My Captain!"
My Captain does not answer, his lips are pale and still; My father does not feel my arm, he has no pulse nor will; The ship is... Read more
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William Edward Burghardt Du Bois is Born
History cannot ignore W.E.B. DuBois because history has to reflect truth and Dr. DuBois was a tireless explorer and a gifted discoverer of social... Read more
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First Volume of 'Little Women' is Published
Looking for a bestseller, a publisher asked Alcott to write a book for girls. Although reluctant at first, she poured her best talent into the... Read more
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Edgar Rice Burroughs is Born
Edgar Rice Burroughs (September 1, 1875 – March 19, 1950) was an American author, best known for his creation of the jungle hero Tarzan and the... Read more
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Henry James' "Daisy Miller" Is Published
Considered one of the greatest novelists of the English language, James was also an accomplished writer of short fiction. Shunning what he called... Read more
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Henry James' "The Portrait of a Lady" Is Published
The Portrait of a Lady is a novel by Henry James, first published as a serial in The Atlantic Monthly and Macmillan's Magazine in 1880–1881 and... Read more
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Mark Twain's "Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" Is Published
PERSONS attempting to find a motive in this narrative will be prosecuted; persons attempting to find a moral in it will be banished; persons... Read more
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The Bostonians by Henry James is Published
The Bostonians is a novel by Henry James, first published as a serial in The Century Magazine in 1885–1886 and then as a book in 1886. This... Read more
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Henry James' Novella "Turn of the Screw" Is Published
The Turn of the Screw is a novella (short novel) written by Henry James. Originally published in 1898, it is ostensibly a ghost story that has lent... Read more
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The Philadelphia Negro is Published
The Philadelphia Negro is a sociological study of the African American people of Philadelphia written by W.E.B. Du Bois. Comissioned by the... Read more
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Kate Chopin Publishes "The Awakening"
The Awakening is a novel by Kate Chopin, first published in 1899 (see 1899 in literature). Set in New Orleans and the Southern Louisiana coast at... Read more
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Ernest Hemingway Is Born
Ernest Hemingway, born in Oak Park, Illinois, started his career as a writer in a newspaper office in Kansas City at the age of seventeen. After... Read more
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'The Wonderful Wizard of Oz' is Published
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz is a children's novel written by L. Frank Baum and illustrated by W.W. Denslow. It was originally published by the... Read more
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The Wings of the Dove by Henry James is Published
The Wings of the Dove is a 1902 novel by Henry James. This novel tells the story of Milly Theale, an American heiress stricken with a serious... Read more