American literature in context to 1865 / Susan Castillo.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

The arrival of the Europeans -- European exploration and settlement: The anvil and the golden fleece -- The city on a hill: alternative visions -- From colonies to nation -- The struggle for identity in post-revolutionary America -- American expansion and the Transcendentalists -- The originals: Edgar Allan Poe, Herman Melville, Emily Dickinson, and Walt Whitman -- A house divided: abolitionism, the women's movement, and The civil war.

This volume discusses the issues and events that engaged American writers of the period, providing original and useful readings of important literary works that demonstrate how context contributes to meaning. Covering a range of genres, including the myths, chants and songs of indigenous cultures, sermons, slave narratives, essays and the novels and poetry, it is designed to be used alongside the major anthologies of literature from the period in order to equip students with the necessary historical context needed to understand the writings from this period. Pedagogical features include a detailed bibliography, and a transatlantic timeline, with literary works, and historical events.