Presents literature not as a simple inventory of authors or titles but rather as a historical and cultural field viewed from a wide array of contemporary perspectives. The set, which is "new historicist" in its approach to literary criticism, endorses the notion that not only does history affect literature, but literature itself informs history.
Examines the relationship between American history and literature between 1820 and 1870, presenting alphabetized articles on topics such as Romanticism, satire, and the Trail of Tears. This volume covers R-Y.
Examines the relationship between American history and literature between 1820 and 1870, presenting alphabetized articles on topics such as Harpers Ferry, immigration, the Indian Wars, the Oregon Trail, and Puritanism. This volume covers H-Q.
Examines the relationship between American history and literature between 1820 and 1870, presenting alphabetized articles on topics such as abolition, democracy, and the Gettysburg Address. This volume covers A-G.
