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American Literary Periods Characteristics and Historical Influences.
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Transcript of American Literary Periods Characteristics and Historical Influences.
American Literary Periods
Characteristics and Historical Influences
Part One: American Literature in the Settlement Period
THE NEW WORLD
The New World 35,000-8,000 BC-
Mongolian tribes cross Bering Land Bridge-migrate into N & S America
Polynesian tribes cross Pacific on rafts-reach S. America
The Bering Sea
Native Americans Native Americans
had diverse and advanced cultures
Maya, Aztec, Toltec, Inca—all advanced cultures in C. and S. America
Most cultures did not have written languages
Cultures rich in myth and oral literature
Native American Oral Literature Oral tradition/oral
literature Oral Lit-passed
down by mouth Myths, chants,
prayers, stories, histories
Entertain, educate, pass on culture
Myths and Mythology Traditional stories
passed down Explain nature or
human nature Teach moral/religious
lessons Usually have gods
and goddesses Contain supernatural Old an modern Mythology-collected
myths or beliefs
First Contact Vikings land in
Newfoundland and Labrador
Viking deep-sea fisherman and explorers
First recorded contact-Leif Erikssen-c. 1000 AD
Marco Polo An explorer who
followed his father’s trade route
Route was overland to China
Brought back silk, spices, exotic goods
Opened up the West to the East
Wrote about his travels Made search for sea
trade route desirable
Christopher Columbus Set sail in 1492 Sailed west in hopes
of finding trade route to China and the East Indies
Landed on Hispaniola/Santo Domingo-1492
Made two other expeditions-found no gold
Reasons for Exploration of the New World Far East trade route Gold Claim land/subjects
for the king Adventure Jobs (ships, fishing) Fame and favor Fountain of
Youth/cure for diseases/Paradise
Reasons for Settlement of the New World
Gold Land-to claim for king
and for personal use Opportunity-work, food,
ownership Adventure Money-making Jobs Escape from religious
persecution Escape jail time Fame
St. Augustine (FL) 1565 First permanent
settlement in the US Spanish founded it Near site of “Fountain
of Youth” Colony and military
outpost Protected Spanish
gold shipments fr. C. & S. America from pirates
Jamestown (VA) 1607 First permanent
English settlement in US
Founded by the London Co.
Money-making venture
Captain John Smith/Pocahantas
Tobacco-cash crop
Plymouth (MA) 1620 Established by
Pilgrims (Puritans) Escape religious
persecution & cultural pollution in Europe & England
“City on a Hill” Example to the world
on how to live
Important Dates1492-Columbus
lands in NW1565-Spanish
estSt. Augustine
1585-Roanoke VA
“Lost Colony
1607-English est Jamestown
VA
1619-First African slaves
to US
1620-Puritans est Plymouth
MA
1630-Mass Bay Col-”Great Migration”3
1635-First public school in US in Boston
1636-Harvard Univ est in
Boston
1690-Slavery in all colonies
1692-Salem Witch Trials-20
die
1739-1745“Great
Awakening”
The Puritans One of many religious,
Protestant sects Wanted to “purify”the
Church of England Was the ruling party in
England after Reformation
Denounced after Restoration of monarchy
Persecuted under “Bloody Mary”/ James I
Puritan Beliefs Plainness Divine Mission Bible-based laws Grace “Original Sin” Physical purgation
of sin Education for all
Puritan Beliefs Public confession
of sin The “Elect” Puritan Work Ethic Devil Incarnate Cleanliness Democratic
government
Puritan Influence in America
Writing-Plain Style Work ethic Sense of morality Example to the
world Plainness-dress
and worship styles Democracy
The Wilderness Major influence on
life in colonies Forced colonists to
be inventive/creative
Lived closer to nature than Europeans
Room to grow/resources
Hard to govern-law and order
Differences Between Northern and Southern Settlement Styles
Northern• Poorer soil• Colder climate• Shorter growing
season• Largely Puritans• Small land
grants/small farms• Tight communities
built around a “commons” area
• Very interdependent
Southern• Better soil• Warmer climate• Longer growing
season-cash crops• Largely Church of Eng• Large land grants-
plantations-slave labor
• Widely dispersed settlements
• Very independent
Puritan Literature Plain style-simple
words in clear order(“smooth,clear, short) God-centered Spiritual
Autobiographies Poetry No plays or fiction
Pictures
The Age of Reason in America
The Revolutionary Period
Important Event and Dates 1739-1745—”Great Awakening”—
revival of Puritanism-George Whitefield and Jonathan Edwards
1754-1763—French and Indian War 1765—Tax to pay for F and I War 1767—Townsend Acts—tax tea, glass,
lead, and paint imported to colonies 1770—Boston Massacre 1773—Boston Tea Party 1774—1st Continental Congress meets 1775—Battle of Lexington and Concord
start the Revolutionary War
Important Events and Dates (continued)
1775-1781—Revolutionary War 1776—Declaration of Independence signed 1781—Cornwallis surrenders at Yorktown;
Articles of Confederation establish our first government
1783—Treaty of Paris 1787—Signing of the Constitution 1789—Washington elected 1st president 1791—Bill of Rights ratified (Madison) 1790—Eli Whitney invents interchangeable
parts 1793—Eli Whitney invents the cotton gin 1800—Washington, DC
The Enlightenment Began in Europe Challenged the beliefs of the Age
of Faith Embraced concepts of Rationalism
Rationalism Belief that people
could arrive at truth using their abilities of reason and logic
Rejected the previous authority of the past, religious faith, or intuition
Faith vs. Rationalism Truth through
revelation from God Universe mysterious
and unpredictable Men born into sin After-life more
important than life on earth
God active in universe
Truth through reason and logic
Universe governed by fixed, predictable laws
Men basically good Life on earth more
important that after-life God-a divine,
indifferent beneficence
Rationalism in America Combined with
Puritan inventiveness
Combined with physical necessity
Combined with Puritan need for self-improvement
Deism A philosophy—not a
religion Belief that God
gave all men at all times power to discover universe/truth
Universe orderly & good
Mankind-good and perfectible
Like a clock… Deists believed
that God created the universe like a clock
He wound it up and let it go, with little need for His intervention
Given reason and logic, man would figure out answers
Important Dates of the Age of Reason in America 1739-1745-”Great
Awakening” 1754-1763-French and
Indian War 1765-Stamp Act 1769-Intolerable Acts 1770-Boston Massacre
(Crispus Attucks 1st killed)
1773-Boston Tea Party 1775-First shots of
American Rev-Battles of Lex and Concord
July 4, 1776-Dec of Independence
1775-1783-American Revolution
1781-Cornwallis surrenders at Yorktown
More Important Dates 1781-1788-Articles of
Confederation 1789-George
Washington is 1st president
1789-US Constitution ratified
1790-Eli Whitney invents interchangeable parts
1792-NY Stock Exchange organized
1793-Whitney invents cotton gin
1800-DC named capitol-Lib of Congress
Basic Tenets of the Age of Reason People arrive at truth using their own powers of
thought and reason. God created and loves the universe, but does not
interfere a lot with its workings. God created laws of nature that we can discover
using observation and logic. People are good and perfectible People worship God best by doing good for others. Human history moves naturally toward perfection.
The “New American”
Immigrant or child of immigrant
Leaves behind old prejudices and manners
Reinvents himself “Melting Pot” of
races
Literature of the Enlightenment More non-fiction than fiction or poetry Expository or persuasive in a nature Most had a definitive viewpoint High use of language and logic Importance of documents indicated
by language and form Emphasis on clarity, reason, logic,
and evidence for assumptions
Benjamin Franklin: “The First American A model for a man of the Enlightenment Lived the American Dream—rags to riches Born in Boston—made his fortune in Philadelphia, PA Printer, writer, scientist, statesman, humorist,
philanthropist, inventor First Post Master General Founded Univ of Penn Invented bifocals and Franklin Stove Helped write Dec of Ind and Constitution Studied electricity, ocean currents, weather, etc. Improved sewage and street lighting First public library in America
Types of Literature Common during the Enlightenment Formal Documents
The Declaration of Independence The Constitution
Pamphlets Common Sense
Speeches “The Speech in the Virginia Convention”
Essays The Crisis # 1
A Heritage of Explanation, Logic and Persuasion Found in writers since that time
Thoreau Emerson Kennedy King, Jr. Roosevelt Reagan
American Romanticism
The Awakening of a Nation
Important Dates 1803-Louisiana Purchase 1804-1806-Lewis and Clark Expedition 1808-Importation of slaves prohibited 1812-1814-War of 1812 1819-Spain cedes FL to US 1820-Missouri Compromise 1823-Monroe Doctrine 1825-Erie Canal opened 1828-B & O Railroad 1830-Indian Removal Act 1836-Texas wins independence from Mexico
Important Dates
1840s-first mass migration to the American West
1844-Telegraph 1846-1848-Mexican-American War 1848-1st Women’s Rights Convention 1848-Gold discovered in CA 1849-California Gold Rush 1857-Dred Scot decision
The Romantic Movement
What was the Romantic movement? A literary and artistic change in
thought and style A reaction against the order and
tradition of Neo-Classicism An opportunity for new American
writers and artists to develop the new American style
The Seeds of Romantic Thought Began in Europe and then spread to
America Took ideas from Rationalist beliefs
in freedom and the rights of the individual
Important people in Romantic movement: Kant, Goethe, Schlagel, Rosseau, Wordsworth, Coleridge
The Influence of Romantic Thought
How long did this movement last? Roughly 100 years Began in the late eighteenth century Lasted throughout most of the
nineteenth century
Influences on Romantic Thought
Nature The untamed wildernesses of the world The beauty of the natural world
The Past The Classical past-ancient Greece and Rome The Medieval past
The Imagination Emotions Intuition Creativity
Imagination: Romantic Escapism Rejected the rigors of reality Fascinated with the supernatural world
Disliked realistic portrayals Loved folklore and fantasy
Rejected the manmade Embraced the natural world
Romanticism in America: INSPIRED BY…
Discovery of the unspoiled beauty of the Western Frontier
“Noble savages”—the Indians American beliefs in individual rights
and democracy Reform needs in America—women’s
rights, slavery, and education
Causes of the Romantic Movement in America Nationalism
Lewis and Clark Expedition War of 1812
Discovery and Exploration Napoleon Bonaparte The New World
Natural Rights “God-given rights” Slavery The French Revolution
Nationalism Romantic theory spawned in America by
intense feelings of nationalism among some of the populace
NATIONALISM IS AN INTENSE INTEREST IN ONE’S COUNTRY AND/OR HERITAGE
American nationalism resulted largely from The Louisiana Purchase Lewis and Clark Expedition War of 1812
Elements of Romanticism intuition, imagination, and emotion better
than logic and reason Creativity (poetry, art, etc.) superior to
science Study of the natural world yields Truth and
Wisdom Distrust of civilization and industry Valued the past and the supernatural Nobility of the savage Freedom and individual rights
The Journey “Quest” form taken from Medieval
Romances of Europe Movement away from civilization Physical and emotional journey “Escape” and encounters with the
supernaturalJOURNEY STRUCTURE WAS A
FRAMEWORK FOR THE ROMANTIC EXPERIENCE.
Romantic “Journeys”
Into the past, the supernatural, and to exotic places
Into the contemplation of nature’s beauty and mystery
ALL ROADS LED TO THE DISCOVERY OF HIGHER TRUTH AND ULTIMATE BEAUTY
Gothic Romance
Roots in French and German lit Took place in exotic and isolated
locales Involved the supernatural Dark and disturbing toneS and moodS Source of the early psychological
stories Best Gothic Romance writer:
Edgar Allan Poe
The American Novel
Began … during the Romantic period As imitations of European novels
andauthors Using American settings, but
European plots, characters, and style Broke away to use uniquely American
settings, characters, and plots
James Fennimore Cooper
Created the first, truly “American” novel
Invented the “American Hero” type Chronicled life in a “geography of
the imagination”—the American Western Frontier
Was the first novelist to define the American writing style
The American Hero Is young, or possesses youthful qualities Innocent and pure of purpose Inner sense of honor based on higher
principles Has knowledge of people and life based on
deep intuition and understanding Loves nature—hates towns and cities Resists domestication Quests for a higher truth in the natural
world
American Romantic Poetry
Used established, traditional poetic forms
Mimicked European forms Used American settings and stories “Family” poetry very popular “Fireside Poets” wrote family poetry
for fireside reading First uniquely American poetry yet to
be created
Transcendentalism Outgrowth of Romanticism Proposed by Ralph Waldo Emerson AND
Henry David Thoreau Based on Christian and Hindu religions
and Romantic theory Philosophy that
ONE MUST GO BEYOND (OR TRANSCEND) THE FIVE SENSES TO FIND
REALITY
Transcendentalists Believed
In God, the Oversoul, the “Universal Being”
Everywhere, everything, all knowledge
No evil—just perspective That God could be seen most easily
and purely in natureEMERSON AND THOREAU
Anti-transcendentalists
Believed in the existence of evil Believed in original sin
NATHANIEL HAWTHORNE AND
HERMAN MELVILLE
American Romantic Authors
Washington Irving William Cullen Bryant Henry Wadsworth Longfellow Oliver Wendell Holmes Ralph Waldo Emerson Henry David Thoreau Edgar Allan Poe Herman Melville
REFORM MOVEMENTS OF THEROMANTIC PERIOD
Reform Movements: Education
Education Needed to educate immigrants to vote Needed teachers in the West Salaries too low for men Women took these jobs English promoted as the national
language Small towns on the Frontier could build
schools and hire teachers from the East
Women’s Rights Women became teachers—were better
educated More colleges for women opened First Women’s Rights Conference in
Saratoga, NY in 1848 Sought suffrage and rights to own
property Did not get vote in US until 1920 Some states did allow women to vote
before then Some educated women became
staunch abolitionists/Harriet Beecher Stowe
Reform Movements: Slavery Eli Whitney/cotton gin/ Slave economy in the South 1808/Importation of slaves prohibited Abolitionists sought the eradication of slavery
immediately and completely South saw this as an infringement on States’
Rights N. needed S.’s raw goods for factories S. sought to sell goods overseas 1859/ John Brown/Harper’s Ferry Uncle Tom’s Cabin
Important Dates 1803-Louisiana Purchase 1804-1806-Lewis and Clark Expedition 1808-Importation of slaves prohibited 1812-1814-War of 1812 1819-Spain cedes FL to US 1820-Missouri Compromise 1823-Monroe Doctrine 1825-Erie Canal opened 1828-B & O Railroad 1830-Indian Removal Act 1836-Texas wins independence from Mexico
Important Dates
1840s-first mass migration to the American West
1844-Telegraph 1846-1848-Mexican-American War 1848-1st Women’s Rights Convention 1848-Gold discovered in CA 1849-California Gold Rush 1857-Dred Scot decision
American Realism
1860-1914
Definition of Realism
A movement in art and literature that attempts/ed to portray life as it really is/was.
Historical Background The Civil War:
1860-1865 Also called:
The War Between the States The Southern Rebellion The War of Northern Aggression
The violence and carnage of the War brought an end to the idealistic optimism that characterized the earlier part of the century.
The Rise of Realism
Realism -“very minute fidelity (truthfulness)” to common and ordinary lives of people
Realism-firmly entrenched in Europe before popular in US
Regionalism
Regionalism is literature based a limited geographical location -tried to reproduce accurately the speech, mores and manners of that region.
Writers began to write about the places they knew. This became known as Local Color.
Regionalism Regionalist writers
tried to be realistic in their depictions of an area’s speech patterns, mores, and manners.
However, regionalist writers were often quite unrealistic and sentimental about their characters.
Local Color Regionalist writers used LOCAL COLOR
to create their works LOCAL COLOR -description of places,
people, speech, or manners unique to a particular place and time.
DIALECT-a way of speaking that is characteristic of a certain social group or inhabitants of a particular area
Magic Realism Was the beginning of Realism as a
movement Mixed the fantastic with the very
realistic Had psychological elements People loved it-blended the two
styles together Still popular today
Impressionism An outgrowth of realism was Impressionism,
a movement in art and literature of the late 1900s that advocated artists and writers’ recording personal experiences or impressions of the world, rather than simply an extremely realistic view.
Impressionists saw their views of the world more real than the standard realists because their views saw into the minds of artists and writers.
Psychological Fiction The fiction of the mind Began a movement that became
“stream of consciousness” writing Still highly used today in writing Began in this period, but was
perfected later Began with “magic realism”
Inventions of the 19th Century 1800-Volta invents the battery/ Jacquard loom 1804 Gas lighting and steam powered engine 1810-tin can 1814-first photograph and steam locomotive 1819-soda fountain and stethoscope 1824-first toy balloon/ cement/ electromagnet 1827-matches and microphone 1829-typewriter and braille 1830-sewing machine 1831-steam turbine and a crop reaper 1834-refrigerator 1835-calculator
More Inventions of the 1900s 1836-first revolver (Colt) 1837-telegraph and Morse Code/ postage stamp 1839-vulcanized rubber/daguerreotype
photography/bicycle/platform scales/H-fuel cell 1840-1845-rubber tire/new sewing
machine/grain elevator/stapler 1846-1849-dental
chair/anesthesia/antiseptic/safety pin 1850-1855-airship/glider/Singer sewing
machine/fiber optics/ rayon
Historical Influences Civil War-1860-1865-Union forces won Emancipation Proclamation-1862-Freed the slaves in the South Southern Reconstruction-1865-1880-Presidential and Congressional Westward Expansion/Manifest Destiny-1840s—1914 Alaska purchased from Russia-1867 Edison and electric light-1876 A. G. Bell and telephone-1879 Alaskan Gold Rush-1896 Spanish-American War-1898-US gained the Philippines, Cuba,
Puerto Rico, and Guam from Spain Panama Canal-1906 Henry Ford’s Model T-1915 Sinking of the Titanic, April 1912 World War I-1914-1918 (US entered in 1917):
US, Britain, France, Russia VS. Germany, Austria-Hungary, the Ottoman Empire
American Authors of the Realist Period Mark Twain Frederick Douglas Stephen Crane Jack London Willa Cather Edwin Arlington Robinson Edgar Lee Masters Edna St. Vincent Millay Katherine Anne Porter
Modernism in America
1914-1939
What was Modernism? A movement in art and literature
of the early to mid 20th century
Modernism Defined Modernism-was a movement in art,
music, and literature that was dominant in the first half of the 20th century in Europe and America.
Modernism-was a reaction to the horrors of WWI. It manifested itself in fiction and art with bold, experimental styles and techniques.
HISTORICAL INFLUENCES 1905-Einstein’s Theory of Relativity 1906-Yellowstone is first National Park 1912-Sinking of the Titanic 1913-Modern Art is introduced to US in
NYC 1914-World War I breaks out in Europe
with the assassination of Austria’s Prince Ferdinand by Serbian nationalists
1914-The Panama Canal opens 1915-Henry Ford revolutionizes the auto
industry with mass production lines
HISTORICAL INFLUENCES 1917-US enters WWI 1917-Russian Revolution ends the
Tsarist rule in Russia-Communism begins
1918-Prohibition begins 1920-The Harlem Renaissance begins 1920-19th Amendment is ratified giving
women the right to vote 1922-The Jazz Age begins 1927-Lindbergh flies solo across the
Atlantic
HISTORICAL INFLUENCES 1929-Stock Market Crash 1930s-The Great Depression 1933-FDR elected-proposes the
“New Deal” and Soc Sec legislation 1933-Hitler comes to power in
Germany 1939-Franco’s nationalist forces win
Spanish Civil War 1939-WWII begins in Europe with
Germany’s invasion of Poland
World War I
WWI was supposed to be the “War to End All Wars” or “The Great War”
Supposed to be a war of moral imperatives—defending the freedom of threatened nations
Instead--bloodbath of epic proportions, trench warfare in France and Belgium over small portions of contested ground
1st truly mechanized war-tanks, machine guns, jeeps, planes and bombs
Advent of chemical weapons WWI led to “Geneva Convention”-- sought
to establish rules for “fair warfare”
“The Lost Generation” Term coined by the writer Gertrude Stein Referred to the disillusioned and
alienated soldiers who returned from WWI with terrible memories from the battlefield.
They felt disconnected from the America they had left and its strict moral values, and unfamiliar with the America they came home to.
Many became “expatriates,” preferring to live in France rather than the US
The Expatriates Produced some of the most
profound American literature to date Lived largely on the Left Bank of
Seine River in Paris Included Ernest Hemingway,
Sherwood Anderson, Ezra Pound, Gertrude Stein, and F. Scott Fitzgerald
The “Jazz Age” Was a time when ladies’ skirts
were shortened and their hair bobbed
Wild dancing and parties Looser social mores and values Women, given the vote, now felt
freer to express themselves and claim their independence
The “Jazz Age” Also known as “The Roaring ’20s” Named so by the writer F. Scott
Fitzgerald, who chronicled the decade from 1920-1929 in his works
Named after the music, jazz, one of the only authentically American forms of music
Themes in Modernist Fiction Modernism in fiction focused on several
themes: Disillusionment with the American Dream A fear of automation and the advances of
science as these conflicted with traditional religious beliefs
Alienation-resulting from the WWI soldiers returning home to an unfamiliar world
A loosening of moral and societal values A new awareness of ethnic, especially black,
literature and music A need to be “completely new” and different
American Authors of the Modernist Period Sherwood
Anderson Ernest Hemingway F. Scott Fitzgerald William Faulkner John Steinbeck James Thurber Eudora Welty
Ezra Pound T. S. Eliot William Carlos
Williams Robert Frost Carl Sandburg e.e. cummings
The Harlem Renaissance A movement in art and literature of the
early 1920s that emphasized the life and culture of the Negro in American society
White patrons encouraged and supported black performers, artists, and writers
Jazz and the Blues were the musical styles of choice
As Langston Hughes wrote, “the Negro was in vogue”
American Writers of the Harlem Renaissance Langston Hughes James Weldon Johnson W.E.B. Dubois Frances Harper Countee Cullen Zora Neale Hurston James Baldwin Richard Wright
Contemporary Literature
From 1939-Present Day
HISTORICAL INFLUENCES 1939-1945-World War II 1941-Japanese bomb Pearl Harbor-US enters
the war 1942-Hitler begins implementation of the
“Final Solution” 1944-Allied forces land in Normandy to
liberate European countries from Nazi control
1945-May, Hitler commits suicide-war in Europe ends
1945-August, US uses first nuclear bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Japan surrenders ending WWII
1945-United Nations established
WWII
The Axis Powers: Germany Italy Japan
The Allied Powers US Great Britain Russia
Causes of WWII: Japan Japanese Imperialism-believed that they were
a superior Asian race destined to rule all other Asian races
Believed their emperor was a god Japanese society—high sense of honor Needed oil from the Middle East Attacked Mainland China and the island
nations of of the Pacific Very barbaric attacks on the Chinese people Western nations tried to help
US Entry into WWII Came about after Japan bombed
Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941 2300 people were killed that day Most of our navy was destroyed The next day we declared war on
Japan and Germany
US Influence in the War Huge economic and industrial
power Women went to work in munitions
and supply factories Huge influx of manpower with the
US draft Victory in WWII cemented our place
as world power
Causes of WWII: Italy Mussolini-dictator of Italy Wanted to be on the “winning side” Believed that Italy/Rome must
conquer Europe once more Wanted to revive the Roman Empire Allied with Hitler to do so
Causes of WWII: Adolph Hitler Hitler blamed the Jews and other “impure”
races for Germany’s troubles after WWI Sought to rid Europe, and eventually the
world, of Jewry Sought to breed “super-race” of pure
Aryans to run the world Made pact with Italy and Japan, but
planned to overtake and “purify” them, too, after he conquered the world
Saw the US as an abomination, because of our mixed races of people
Hitler’s Vision Hitler blamed the Jews and other “impure”
races for Germany’s troubles after WWII He sought to rid Europe, and eventually
the world, of Jewry He sought to breed a “super-race” of pure
Aryans to run the world He made a pact with Italy and Japan, but
planned to overtake and “purify” them, too, when he conquered the world
He saw the US as an abomination, because of our mixed races of people
•Journal/WOD/SAT Prep/DOL•Read aloud: from “Nature,” (Emerson), old lit text pp. 219•Notes: Synopsis of Lit Periods, slides 63-74 (Romanticism to Realism)Assign: 25 Notes on pp.201-209 (HW)
The Holocaust In 1942, Hitler implemented the “Final Solution,”
a plan to rid Europe of Jewry He implemented a series of laws taking away all
civil rights of Jews and other undesirables in Germany and its conquered territories
Heinrich Himmler was in charge of “Final Solution”
Concentration (work) camps were set up across Eastern Europe
Ghettos were set up in cities Death camps were built to exterminate the Jews 6.5 million Jews were murdered in the Holocaust 7 million others were also murdered
The End of WWII: Italy and North Africa North Africa and Italy were
liberated first from Axis control
Mussolini ran with his mistress, was caught, shot, and hanged in the marketplace
End of WWII: Europe D-Day-1944 Allied troops invaded the
beaches of Normandy, France to liberate Europe
Russian troops moved east as Britain, US, Australia, and others moved west across Europe
Hitler committed suicide in Berlin as Russian troops closed in on the city in April of 1945
Germany surrendered in May
End of WWII: Japan The first atomic bomb was created at Los
Alamos, NM US decided to use it on Japan, who refused to
surrender The first A-bomb was dropped on Hiroshima,
Japan in August of 1945 The second-three days later on Nagasaki, Japan 71,000 people were killed immediately Over 100,000 died within three months Japan surrendered almost immediately
The Aftermath of WW Germany, Japan, and Italy decimated Borders indefinite and disputed Under the Marshall Plan, Europe was divided
and rebuilt by the remaining world powers—Great Britain, US, Russia
Russia refused to allow its rebuilt areas to govern themselves
Russia claimed them as part of their Soviet Union of Socialist Republics
Made those nations live under communist rule
Communism After WWII, China embraced
Communism as its form of govt. The USSR and China wanted to spread
communist govt. across the globe USSR controlled Poland,
Czechoslovakia, Yugoslavia, Romania, Albania, half of Germany, and many other countries under communist rule
Communism China sought to make the entire East Asian
continent communist Supported communist rebels in Korea Started the Korean Conflict/1950-1953 Western nations sent help to fight the
insurrgent communist troops Settled by dividing Korea into communist N.
Korea and democratic S. Korea
Communism China also supported communist
rebels in Viet Nam Western nations again fought the
spread of communism in VN 1964-1974 America withdrew under terms of a
“peace with honor” S. Viet Nam fell to the communists
Historical Influences 1947-India gains
independence from British rule
1948-State of Israel established out of occupied Palestine
1949-Mao Zedong and his communist forces take over China
1950-53-Korean Conflict
1962-Cuban Missile Crisis
1963-Assassination of JFK
1964-1974-Viet Nam War
1979-Personal computer
1980-War in Grenada
1992-Bosnia Conflict
The Sixties: The Generation of Peace and Love With the advent of rock and roll in the fifties
and sixties, society changed Protests concerning the VN War, the draft, civil
rights (race), women’s rights, and the sexual revolution pervaded college campuses
“Don’t trust anyone over 30!” Young people disdained materialism-became
very idealistic Wanted to save the earth, mankind, society,
animals, values, etc. Very “Back to the Land”
The Summer of Love Young people, “Hippies,” dropped out
of “the establishment” and went west Centered in the Haight-Ashbury
district of San Francisco Culminated in the summer of 1967 Characterized by avant garde music
and art, experimentation with drugs and sexual practices
The “Me” Generation 1970s-1980s Reaction against the idealism of the
’60s Self-satisfaction became center-
stage Upwardly mobile “Yuppies” More people moving into the middle
class
The Fall of the Soviet Union SU invaded Afghanistan in 1980s Fought a futile and expensive war to overtake
the country Withdrew in late 1980s Overspent in Arms Race with the US Russian economy in shambles Led to the fall of communism in Russia in 1989 Soviet Union broke up into separate nations Most nations rejected communism as form of
govt.
The Rise of the Middle East The nation of Israel est. 1948 in what
was German-controlled Palestine Arab nations refused to recognize Israel Much of the ME controlled by Western
powers Mid-’70s, Shah of Iran overthrown—
country taken over by Islamic radicals-take hostages at the US embassy
The Gulf War Saddam Hussein-dictator of Iraq Not an Islamic fundamentalist Cruel and inhumane Attacked Kuwait, a US ally, to gain a seaport to
export oil Claimed historic rights US invaded in January of 1991 to liberate
Kuwait Won the war in 6 weeks Hussein retained power
Islamic Fundamentalism After SU withdrew, Islamic fundamentalist
created a theocratic govt. Strict laws and cruel punishments Osama bin Laden declared war on the US Led to WTC bombings US declared War on Terror and invaded
Afghanistan Liberated A. from the Taliban-still there
fighting
The Iraq War US invaded Iraq in 2003 Easy victory over Saddam’s troops Purpose was to find and destroy WMD No WMD found Saddam Hussein overthrown, captured, tried
by new Iraqi govt., and hanged Rival tribes and religious factions cause
sectarian violence-civil war US still fighting there
Age of Technology, Information, and Communication
Invention of the personal computer in 1979 changes the world
Begins the Age of Technology Cell phone in early ‘80s Internet becomes the most common
form of accessing info Changes writing styles, communication
styles, political campaigns, education, etc.
Themes in Contemporary Literature Resurgence of Romanticism Science Fiction The “end of days” Civil Rights Sexual Revolution Confessional Self-actualization Effects of technology on people Religious differences
Forms of Contemporary Literature:
Non-fiction: Self-help/Political books/ Romances/Plantation novels/historical
novels Crime novels/True crime Horror fiction Biographies/autobiographies Experimental forms/Science fiction Growth of Trade Paperbacks Internet publishing