The American Renaissance

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The American Renaissance period, circa 1876-1917, heralded a new sense of nationalism with a pride linking to a spirit akin to Greek democracy, the rule of Roman law, and a cultural and educational reform movement often referred to as Renaissance humanism. This American nationalism focused on the expression of modernism, technology, and academic classicism. Renaissance technological advancements include wire cables supporting the Brooklyn Bridge in the State of New York, along with cultural advancements found in the Prairie School houses, Beaux-Arts Institute of Design in architecture and sculpture. The political heir of American nationalism evolved with the Gilded Age and New Imperialism school of thought. The American Renaissance produced major influential literary works from some of the most brilliant minds in U.S. history, including Ralph Waldo Emerson's the "Representative Man (1850)", Nathaniel Hawthorne's "The Scarlett Letter (1850)" and "The House of Seven Gables (1851)," Herman Melville's "Moby-Dick," Henry David Thoreau's "Walden (1854)," and Walt Whitman's "Leaves of Grass (1855)."

American Renaissance Literary Masterpieces

The American Renaissance, a literary and cultural period circa extending from 1820 to the mid-1860s, gained inspiration from the unresolved issues of the American Revolution. The American Renaissance literary style was coined as "Romanticism," an international philosophical movement that redefined the perceptions of Western cultures, and seldom refers to the preconceived notions of love. Some important authors arising out of this era include: James Fenimore Cooper, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Harriet Jacobs, Emily Dickinson, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Henry David Thoreau, Edgar Allen Poe, and Herman Melvill...

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...nt known as Transcendentalism and its impact on the American Renaissance.

Apocalyptic and Utopian Society: A symbolic presentation of post-apocalyptic America and the utopian society.

Romanticism: Musical Composition: Course material covering the musical composition of the Romantic period, also known as the American Renaissance.

The American Renaissance period brought about major cultural, social, political, and philosophical change. Pioneers who stood for the abolition of slavery, women's suffrage, expansion, and literary experimentalism challenged and withstood opposition to those comfortable with the old social order. These developments continue to influence our society today, despite overcoming major obstacles within the last century. Only we can take advantage of present opportunities to influence and bring about positive change for future generations.

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