New England Renissance

1840-1855

A. Industrialism and Agriculture- During the New England Renaissance, and after Americas independence from England, a fresh new age of industrialism sprang up in the United States. They were the cotton industries, world wide trade, hotels, mining, and agriculture. American industries were mainly farms and mills. The cause of industrialism was the migration of westward expansion and settlement. This was the beginning of a powerful industrial nation. Lowell developed America's first power loom. This textile industry was employed by high-principled young women who lived on towns close by. Lowell's mass assembly of "factory girls" was a economic success.

B. Transportation- During the period of "literary flowering" in America, transportation in the U.S. advanced from the first white settlers in who sailed from Europe, to the westward expansion and construction of railroads, plank roads, and canals. Many people traveled by stagecoach's and wagons on the plank roads. By 1855, however, railroads had clear-cut advantages over plank roads. This profited world wide trade, railroads were able to transport foreign goods inland from seaports. This also formed more frequent communication between the states.

C. Communication- Communication in America advanced in technology. The telegraph was invented by Samuel F. B. Americans were now able to communicate instantly over great distances.

D. The problems that Americans faced was the growing competition between raising factories, which led to laboring, low wages, and long hours. Factory owners pushed their employees harder and harder, to keep up with competing industries. Factory workers lost many of their benefits and watched their wages be reduced. There were young boys, who worked in coal mines for many hours a day for a small amount of money. The wage was so small that it could not support a family.

E. Women during this time had no rights what so ever. No voting rights, no property that belonged to them, they could not file a lawsuit, They couldn't even make a will! Women were denied of their opinion and were discriminated because of their sex. The 1840's and the 1850's was the beginning of dramatic turning point for women's rights. Such women who evoked their rights as well as the rights of others, were; Lucretia Mott, Elizabeth Stanton, Susan Anthony, (womans Movement) Dorthea Dix, (who fought for better treatment for the mentally ill) Julia Howe, Harriet Stowe, Sarah and Angelina Grimke and Lucy stone, (slavery.)

F. Utopia means a community of social and political perfection, or an Idealistic goal or concept for political reform. There was the famous Brook Farm close to Boston, which was established be George Ripley, who was a ex-unitarian minister. Ripley strongly influenced Emerson's views. Lyceum means an orginazation sponsoring programs. This was also an idealistic movement towards a better society and idealistic communities. Americans wanted free public education available for students who were not able to pay. One of the most famous lyceums, was Boston's Lowell Institute. Lyceums offered public entertainment such as, lectures, debates and scientific demonstrations.

G. Herman Melville wrote the famous Moby Dick. He was Anti- Transcendentalist, and was comrades with Nathaniel Hawthorne. Hawthrone wrote the novel, The Scarlet Letter. He also did not believe in Transcendentalism. Ralph Emerson was a fascinating writer who wrote Nature and The American Scholar . Emerson was very much the individualistic. The essence of his writing was nature and natural beauty. There also is the widely known poet, Emily Dickinson. Then of course there is the New England writers, Oliver Holmes, Henry Longfellow, John Whittier and James Lowell.

H. Transcendentalism- The philosophical belief that knowledge of reality comes from intuition rather from objective experience. Emerson was much a Transcendentalistic. A person who believes in transcendentalism is a person with intense individualism.

I. The "Fireside Poets" were a group of writers who wrote poetry so that people could read and understand the poetry. They were Longfellow, Whittier, Holmes and Lowell.

J. The Renaissance ended because people had to focus on upcoming struggles, and Anti-slavery writers. The creativity of the New England Renaissance soon faded away. Also, the deaths of many of the older writers. Soon the only famous writer from the "Literary flowering age" was the Holmes who wrote "The Last Leaf."