EWL 219 A Nation Divided: 1800-1865 in US Literature
From the beginning, the European colonies that became the United States debated the limits of inclusion and exclusion. Who belonged? Who did not? What requirements were placed on belonging? This course looks at the ways the debates around civil rights for Indigenous Americans, white women, and people of African descent intersected, intensified, and divided the country. We will explore how these issues are expressed and debated in literature and its accompanying material culture (mourning jewelry and memorials, cemetery designs, photography), with special attention to the role of literature in shaping society. The class usually includes a field trip to the African Burial Ground as well as creative assignments concerning the variety of materials studied.