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The Romantic Impulse

Nationalism and Romanticism in American Painting

Europeans felt that they alone at center of artistic world, but paintings within US popular because they felt they had artistic traditions of their own: wonder of nation's landscape, shoe power of nature through wild outdoor scenes.

First great school of American painters from Hudson River School in New York: Frederic Church, Thomas Cole, Thomas Doughty, Asher Durand. Hoped to express “wild nature” that existed in America but not Europe.

Literature and the Quest for Liberation

Early 19 th century American literature unpopular, British novelist Sir Walter Scott was. But even during 1820s great American novelist James Fenimore Cooper- evocation of wilderness, adventure, westward expansion- his “Leatherstocking Tales were The Last of the Mohicans & The Deerslayer".

Cooper's novels showed effort to produce truly American literature, ideal of independent individual with natural inner goodness, fear of disorder.

Later American romantic works included: poet Walt Whitman's Leaves of Grass (1855)- celebration of democracy, individual liberty. Other works more bleak- Herman Melville's Moby Dick (1851) of individual will but tragedy of pride and revenge, writer Edgar Allen Poe's “The Raven” (1845) established him as literary figure- humans exploring deeper world of spirit and emotions.

Literature in the Antebellum South

Southern writers wanted to create American literary culture as well, but often produced historical romances for eulogies of plantation system of Upper South. Most famous William Gilmore Simms- believed duty of intellectual to defend southern lifestyle, and slavery, sectional.

Augustus Longstreet, Joseph Baldwin, Johnson Hooper focused not on “cavaliers” but on ordinary people and poor whites.

The Transcendentalists

New England writers who focused on distinction beetween “reason” and inner capacity to grasp beauty and emotional expression vs “understanding” and repression of instinct and imposed learning goal to cultivate “reason”.

Centered in Concord, MA. Leader Ralph Waldo Emerson essays “Nature” (1836) argued self-fulfillment through communion with nature, “Self-Reliance” (1841) called for individual fully explore inner capacity, unity with universe.

Emerson a nationalist, lecture “The American Scholar” (1837), argued beauty from instant vs learning, therefore Americans can still have artistic greatness.

Henry David Thoreau- people should seek self-realization by not conforming to society's expectations & responding to own instincts. His Walden (1845) of him living simply in the woods, essay “Resistance to Civil Government” (1849)- govt that required violation of personal mortality not legitimate.

The Defense of Nature

Some uneasy with rapid economic development, feared impact on natural world. Nature not just for economic activity (farmers, miners) or for study by scientists- but vehicle for human inspiration, realize truth within the soul.

Visions of Utopia

Transcendentalism spawned communal living experiments:

Brook Farm established by George Ripley 1841 in MA, create community that would permit full opportunity for self-realization, equal labor, share leisure.

Conflict btwn individual freedom & communal society led to dissenters: Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Blithedale Romance (1852) submission equals oppression, The Scarlet Letter (1850)- price ind. pay for not being in society.

French philosopher Charles Fourier's idea of socialist communities led Robert Owen 1825 to create experiment New Harmony in Ind, economic failure.

Redefining Gender Roles

Transcendentalism and utopian communities led to some sense of feminism:

Margaret Fuller's Women of the Nineteenth Century (1844)- feminist ideas:
Johm Humphrey's Oneida Community “Perfectionists” rejected traditional ideas of family and marriage, communal raising of children. An Lee's Shaker Society committed to celibacy, equality of sexes, God neither male or female.

The Mormons

Mormons effort to create new and more ordered society through Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Began upstate NY by Joseph Smith with his 1830 Book of Mormon. Began looking for sanctuary for follower “New Jerusalem”.

Ideas of polygamy and secrecy led surrounding communities to fear them. Mob killed Smith, his protégé Brigham Young led exodus to new community in present Salt Lake City, Utah. Families, were very important.

Belief in human perfectibility, but not individual liberty. Organized, centrally directed society- refuge from disorder and insecurity of secular world.

Members mostly people dislodged by economic growth & social progress of this era.