This online book presents an overview of American literature chronologically. Eras and movements are explained and biographies of significant authors are provided. This is a good way to understand the background and influences of literary periods before stepping into the literature itself. Requires Adobe Reader. [PDF] RL.11-12.9 18,19,20th Cent. Amer Lit

This is a collection of two video lessons about Louisa May Alcott and her works especially "Little Women."

A proponent of social and environmental rights, Henry David Thoreau is featured in this brief biography highlighting his contributions to literature. See Teaching Tips and Author Questions for discussion ideas.

Using excerpts from the works of Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau, comics, and songs from different musical genres, students examine the characteristics of transcendentalism.

This Washington State University site provides a wonderful source for all the literary movements that have taken place in American Literature from 1620-1920. Click on the movement (listed on the left)you are interested in (Naturalism, Realism, Transcendentalism, etc.) and information will be provided on the definition, characteristics, practitioners, and context and controversy of each movement.

Explore the impact of transcendentalism on the life of Louisa May Alcott and American society in this video [4:00] from the American Masters film Louisa May Alcott: The Woman Behind 'Little Women.' Emphasizing self-reliance, civil disobedience, intuition, the importance of nature, and knowing oneself, transcendentalists like Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau left a permanent mark on American identity and values. Alcott spent much of her life surrounded by deep thinkers like Emerson and Thoreau and echoes of their influence can be found in her writing and the way she lived her life. Engage students with discussion questions, a close reading of quotes from Emerson and Thoreau, and connections to the movement in popular culture today.

Here is a short biography and a analysis of "Summer on the Lakes" by Margaret Fuller. It also contains links to the online text for this essay describing her trip to the Great Lakes in 1843. Text can be viewed on a page-by-page basis in its original format, or in a plain text version.

From the Library of Congress "Today in History," this website provides biographical information about Henry David Thoreau along with photographs of Thoreau and Walden Pond. Provides links to online text for Thoreau's work, links to information about other transcendentalists, and links to information about the evolution of the conservation movement. Also includes a link to a website providing a virtual tour of Concord, Massachusetts.

From the Library of Congress "Today in History" website, this page provides biographical details about Louisa May Alcott and her family. The second section discusses her father, Bronson Alcott, and gives details about his ideas, the Temple School he founded in Boston and his relationship with other transcendental thinkers of the time. Includes photographs and links to related sites, as well as quotes from Alcott. Includes photographs of Temple School and Alcott's School of Philosophy in Concord.

The National Humanities Center presents collections of primary resources compatible with the Common Core State Standards - historical documents, literary texts, and works of art - thematically organized with notes and discussion questions. Topics discussed in this unit include the following: The Triumph of Nationalism / The House Dividing: Henry David Thoreau, Walden; or, Life in the Woods, 1854; second half of Ch. 2: "Where I Lived and What I Lived For."

A collection of nine primary resources including historical documents, literary texts, visual images, and maps illuminated and contextualized by notes, thematic questions, and text-specific discussion questions for classroom instruction and teacher professional development.

U.S. History is designed to meet the scope and sequence requirements of most introductory courses. The text provides a balanced approach to U.S. history, considering the people, events, and ideas that have shaped the United States from both the top down (politics, economics, diplomacy) and bottom up (eyewitness accounts, lived experience). U.S. History covers key forces that form the American experience, with particular attention to issues of race, class, and gender.Senior Contributing AuthorsP. Scott Corbett, Ventura CollegeVolker Janssen, California State University, FullertonJohn M. Lund, Keene State CollegeTodd Pfannestiel, Clarion UniversityPaul Vickery, Oral Roberts UniversitySylvie Waskiewicz

By the end of this section, you will be able to:

Explain the connection between evangelical Protestantism and the Second Great Awakening
Describe the message of the transcendentalists

An Awakening of Religion and Individualism
Antebellum Communal Experiments
Reforms to Human Health
Addressing Slavery
Women’s Rights

U.S. History is designed for a two-semester American history sequence. It is traditional in coverage, following a roughly chronological outline, and using a balanced approach that includes political, economic, social, and cultural developments. At the same time, the book includes a number of innovative and interactive features designed to enhance student learning. Instructors can also customize the book, adapting it to the approach that works best in their classroom.

Through an examination of primary sources and watching a short video, students will learn about Whitman's love for and criticism of the United States.