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Home , James Fenimore Cooper, Washington Irving

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SECTION 3 American Culture TEKS 26A, 26B, 26C If YOU were there... You live in Philadelphia in 1830. Though you’ve lived in the city all What You Will Learn… your life, you dream about the West and the frontier. Now you’ve discovered a wonderful writer whose stories tell about frontier life Main Ideas 1. American writers created a and events. You can’t wait to read his next exciting adventure. You new style of literature. think that perhaps someday you could be a frontier hero, too. 2. A new style of art showcased the beauty of America and its Why would the frontier seem so exciting? people. 3. American ideals influenced other aspects of culture, including religion and music. 4. Architecture and education were affected by cultural ideals. Building Background Until the early 1800s, Americans took most of their cultural ideas from Great Britain and Europe. But as ­American and the economy developed, so too did a new The Big Idea national culture. Writers and artists were inspired by American As the grew, history and the American . developments in many cultural areas contributed to the creation of a new American identity. American Writers Key Terms and People Like many people the world over, Americans expressed their , p. 309 thoughts and feelings in literature and art and sought spiritual , p. 309 comfort in religion and music. Developments in education and school, p. 310 architecture also reflected the growing national identity. The arts , p. 310 became a way to show the similarities among Americans as well George Caleb Bingham, p. 310 as the differences between American and European life. To do this, writers and artists used themes and images that were familiar to most Americans.

Use the graphic organizer online to take notes on the new develop- ments in American culture in the American Arts 1820s and 1830s.

Early to mid-1800s American architects are inspired by ancient Greece and Rome.

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One of the first American writers to gain In 1823 Cooper published , international fame was Washington Irving. the first of five novels featuring the hero Born in 1783, he was named after George . Cooper’s novels told of Washington. Irving’s works often told about settling the western frontier and included American history. Through a humorous form historical events. For example, his novel of writing called satire, Irving warned that The Last of the takes place during Americans should learn from the past and be the . By placing fic- cautious about the future. tional characters in a real historical setting, Irving shared this idea in one of his best- Cooper popularized a type of writing called known short stories, “.” This historical . story describes a man who falls asleep dur- Some critics said that Cooper’s char- ing the time of the . He acters were not interesting. They par- wakes up 20 years later to a society he does ticularly criticized the women in his not recognize. Irving published this and stories; one writer labeled them “flat as another well-known tale, “The Legend of a prairie.” Other authors of historical ,” in an 1819–20 collection. fiction, such as Catharine Maria Sedg- In some of his most popular works, Irving wick, wrote about interesting heroines. combined European influences with Ameri- Sedgwick’s characters were inspired by can settings and characters. His work served the people of the Berkshire Hills region as a bridge between European literary­ tradi- of Massachusetts, where she lived. Her tions and a new type of writer who focused works include A New- Tale and on American characters and ­society. Hope Leslie. Perhaps the best known of these new writers was James Fenimore Cooper. Cooper Reading Check Analyzing How did Ameri- was born to a wealthy New Jersey family in can writers such as Irving and Cooper help create 1789. Stories about the West and the Native a new cultural identity in the United States? Americans who lived on the frontier fasci- nated him. These subjects became the focus of his best-known works. A New Style of Art Cooper’s first book was not very success- The writings of Irving and Cooper inspired ful, but his next novel, , was a huge painters. These artists began to paint success. Published in 1821, it was an adventure ­ that showed the history of America story set during the American Revolution. It and the beauty of the land. Earlier American appealed to American readers’ patriotism and painters had mainly painted portraits. By the desire for an exciting, action-filled story. 1830s the had emerged.

1827 John Audubon begins pub- lishing The Birds of America, which is highly admired in England.

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The artists of the Hudson River school created Religion and Music paintings that reflected national pride and an Through the early and mid-1800s, several appreciation of the American landscape. They waves of religious revivalism swept the United took their name from the subject of many of States. During periods of revivalism, meetings their paintings—the Hudson River valley. were held for the purpose of reawakening reli- Landscape painter Thomas Cole was a gious faith. These meetings sometimes lasted founder of the Hudson River school. He had for days and included large sing-alongs. moved to the United States from Britain in At many revival meetings people sang 1819. He soon recognized the unique quali- songs called spirituals. Spirituals are a type ties of the American landscape. As his work of folk hymn found in both white and Afri- gained fame, he encouraged other American can American folk-music traditions. This artists to show the beauty of nature. “To walk type of song developed from the practice with nature as a poet is the necessary condi- of calling out text from the Bible. A leader tion of a perfect artist,” Cole once said. would call out the text one line at a time, Artists also began studying and paint- and the congregation would sing the words ing the birds, animals, and plants of the using a familiar tune. Each singer added his United States. One wildlife painter, John or her own style to the tune. The congre- James Audubon, became famous in both gation of singers sang freely as inspiration America and England for his paintings of led them. birds. He traveled throughout the West, as While spirituals reflected the religious far as Yellowstone, collecting images and nature of some Americans, popular folk descriptions of American wildlife. music of the period reflected the unique By the 1840s the style of American paint- views of the growing nation in a different ing was changing. More artists were trying to way. One of the most popular songs of the combine images of the American landscape era was “Hunters of Kentucky,” which cel- with scenes from people’s daily lives. Paint- ebrated the Battle of New Orleans. It became ers like George Caleb Bingham and Alfred an anthem for the spirit of nationalism in Jacob Miller travelled west to paint scenes the United States and was used successfully of the American frontier, including trappers, in ’s campaign for the presi- traders, settlers, and Native Americans. dency in 1828. Reading Check Finding Main Ideas How Reading Check Summarizing How did music did the style of American art change to reflect the reflect American interests in the early to mid-1800s? American way of life in the early 1800s?

American Arts (continued)

1828 1830 1836 Noah Webster George Catlin trav- Painters of the Hudson publishes his els widely to paint River school prove first dictionary images of Native American landscapes are of American— American ways of worthy of art. (Thomas not British— life before they are Cole’s English. lost. The Oxbow, 1836)

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Architecture and Education Reading Check Identifying Points of View American creativity extended to the way in Why did some Americans call for new architec- which people designed buildings. Before the tural styles and more education after the American American Revolution, most architects fol- Revolution? lowed the style used in Great Britain. After the Revolution, leaders such as S ummary and Preview As the United called for Americans to model their architec- States grew, so did a unique national ture after the styles used in ancient Greece and identity. In Chapter 10 you will read about Rome. Many Americans admired the ancient the changing face of American democracy. civilization of Greece and the Roman Repub- lic because they contained some of the same

democratic and republican ideals as the new Section 3 Assessment ONLINE QUIZ American nation did. As time went by, more architects followed Reviewing Ideas, Terms, and People Jefferson’s ideas. Growing American cities soon 1. a. Describe What topics interested American writers in the early 1800s? had distinctive new buildings designed in the b. Draw Conclusions Why is Washington Irving Greek and Roman styles. These buildings were considered an important American writer? usually made of marble or other stone and fea- 2. a. Identify What influence did the Hudson River tured large, stately columns. School and Thomas Cole have on American painters? Americans also embraced educational prog- b. Describe How did American painting styles change ress. Several early American political leaders from the early period to the mid-1800s? expressed a belief that democracy would only 3. a. Describe What effect did religious revivalism have succeed in a country of educated and enlight- on American music? ened people. But there was no general agree- b. Elaborate Why do you think folk songs like “Hunters of Kentucky” were popular? ment on who should provide that education. 4. a. Identify On what historical examples did many Eventually, the idea of a state-funded American architects model their buildings? public school gathered support. In 1837 Mas- b. Predict What might be some possible results of the sachusetts lawmakers created a state board of growing interest in education in the United States? education. Other states followed this example, Critical Thinking and the number of public schools slowly grew. 5. Categorizing Review your notes about new develop- ments in American culture. Copy the graphic organizer below and use it to show how these cultural develop- ments reflected a new American identity.

ANALYSIS Cultural Development New Identity skill ANALYZING INFORMATION Cultural Development New Identity How do these artistic developments show Americans’ increasing sense of identity? Cultural Development New Identity

Focus on Writing

6. Identifying Values You can tell much about some- one’s values by what that person makes. For instance, you could guess that a person who creates a collage of personal mementos for a friend’s birthday is creative and values personal relationships. Take notes on what the United States created and what it valued.

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