American Literature in Context from 1865 to 1929

This book places major literary works within the context of the topics that engaged a great number of American writers in the period from the end of the Civil War to the beginning of the Great Depression

• Topics include Civil War memory, the virtual re-enslavement of African-Americans after Reconstruction, and radical social movements
• Draws on a range of documents from magazine and newspaper accounts to government reports and important non-fiction
• Presents a contemporary history as writers might have understood it as they were writing, not as historians have interpreted it.
• Designed to be compatible with the major anthologies of literature from the period
• Equips students and general readers with the necessary historical context needed to understand the writings from this period and provides original and useful readings that demonstrate how context contributes to meaning
• Includes a historical timeline, featuring key literary works, American presidents, and historical events

Timeline of Texts and Historical Events viii

Introduction 1

1 Civil War Memories 6

2 “A Serfdom of Poverty and Restricted Rights”: Black Americans after Emancipation 16

3 Immigrants 33

4 Countrysides 54

5 The Poor and the Wealthy 68

6 To Change America 86

7 Culminations: From the US Entry into World War I to 1929 114

Index 138

“American Literature in Context to 1865 can be a key critical reading for various antebellum literature courses, as well as for other members of her targeted ‘widest possible audience’seeking to deepen their knowledge of various early American literary moments.” (Oxford Journals Clippings, 4 May 2012)

Philip R. Yannella is Professor of English and American Studies at Temple University. He has taught courses on the full range of American literature as well as on history, culture, class, and radicalism. His previous publications include The Other Carl Sandburg (1996). American Literature in Context from1865 to 1929 is the perfect companion for readers who want to familiarize themselves with the historical events and literary movements that shaped American literature from the end of the Civil War to the beginning of the Great Depression.

Drawing on a range of documents from magazine and newspaper accounts to government reports and important non-fiction, Philip R. Yannella explores the subjects that engaged American writers during this pivotal period and situates major works within history, from the perspective of writers as they understood it.

Topics covered include Civil War memory, the virtual re-enslavement of African-Americans after Reconstruction, poverty and plenty, immigration and migration, social movements aimed at radically changing America, and post-World War I conservative triumphs.

Includes a historical timeline, featuring key literary works, American presidents, and historical events.