American Literature Timline

By killian331
  • Jan 1, 1560

    Birth of Thomas Harriot

  • Nov 9, 1579

    Birth of Thomas Morton

  • Nov 9, 1580

    birth of John Smith

  • Dec 3, 1580

    millions of slaves are traded into america

    this si important because slavery is one of the biggest topics in american literature

  • A brief and True Report published

  • Birth of William Bradford

  • english colony jamestown is settled

    this is important because it is the first permanent english colony

  • Birth of Bradstreet

  • john Smith's texts published

  • Smallpox wipes out 90% of the native american in massachussets bay area.

    This is significant because it shows that Americans killed almost all of the native amercians, whether it was on purpose or accident.

  • Mayflower compact is formed

    this is important because it is believed that the Declaration of Independance was drafted after this document.

  • Puritan's establish Plymouth Plantation

    This is signifigant because it is one of the earliest colonies.

  • death of Thomas Harriot

  • First Thanksgiving is held.

    This is signifigant because thanksgiving is still celebrated today and this is an important piece of American history.

  • Death of John Smith

  • Birth of Rowlandson

  • Thomas Morton's "New English Canaan" is published

  • One out of every four shops was a tavern in New York City

    This is significant because it shows how much early Amercians relied on beer as their main source of calories.

  • The First book is printed in North America.

    This is significant because this is where Amercian literature starts, the beginning of a ton of history.

  • Death of thomas Morton

  • Slavery is recognized and legalized in the Americas.

    this is the start of hundreds of years of pain and suffering, a very important peice of American history

  • Birth of Sewall

  • Death of William Bradford

  • Birth of Mather

  • Death of Bradstreet

  • Bradstreet's poems published

  • Mary Rowlandson's "A narrative of the captivity and Restoration" published

  • salem witch trials takes place

    this is important because it is a topic that creates much writing interest in america

  • Samuel Sewall's "The Selling of Joseph" published

  • Cotton Mather's Biography's published

  • Birth of Edwards

  • Birth of Franklin

  • Death of Rowlandson

  • Death of Mather

  • Death of Sewall

  • the british have 13 american colonies

    this is important because these are the 13 colonies that will rebel against them

  • Birth of crevecoeur

  • Birth of John Adams

  • Birth of Paine

  • Jonathon Edward's "Sinners in the hands of an Angry God" published

  • Birth of Jefferson

  • Birth of Abigail Adams

  • Birth of Murray

  • Birth of Wheatly

  • Death of Edwards

  • Birth of Foster

  • benjamin franklin invents the lightning conductor

    this si important because it has become an important piece of american history

  • british pass the tax act on the colonists

    this is important because it is one of the things that creates so much anger towards the british

  • The boston massacre occurs.

    this is important because this is one of the leading events that bings America to its revolution.

  • the bloody massacre takes place

    this is important because it is an event leading up to the american civil war

  • boston tea party occurs

    this is important because it is only the beginning of colonial resistance against the british

  • First Attack submarine was invented

    This is significant because it shows that Americans are inventors and innovators, even since the making of America.

  • Declaration of independence signed

    this is important because it is the founding of america as a country.

  • Thomas Paine's "Common Sense" published

  • the french join the americans in the war against britain

    this is important because without the french's help the americans may not have won the war

  • Final military battle of the Revolutionary War

    This is were America wins their freedom.

  • Crevecour's "Letters From an Amercian Farmer" published

  • Birth of Irving

  • First practical parachute

  • Death of Wheatly

  • Thomas Jefferson's "Notes on the State of Virginia" published

  • the U.S. constitution is written

    this is important because this is the first official document of the U.S. as a nation

  • Supreme court is created

    this is significant because the supreme court is still in use today.

  • Death of Franklin

  • Judith Murray's works published

  • Samuel Morse is born

    Samuel Morse will invent the Morse code which was widely used by almost every one

  • The cotton gin is invented

    this is important because it reduces the need for slaves for americans

  • Thomas Paine's "The Age of Reason" published

  • Hanah Foster's "The Coquette" published

  • Law passed to abolish slavery in New York

    This law became effective after 25 years which shows how long it would take to get rid of slavery everywhere.

  • Birth of Emerson

  • Louisiana purchase takes place

    This is important because it expands the countries size

  • Birth of Hawthorne

  • robert fulton invents the steam boat

    this is important because it helps the transporting of goods up stream

  • Birth of Longfellow

  • Birth of whittier

  • Lewis and clarke explore the missouri valley

    this is important because lewis and clark mapped out much of the unexplored america

  • Birth of Jacobs

  • Death of Paine

  • Birth of Poe

  • Death of crevecour

  • Birth of Douglass

  • Birth of Brown

  • Thoreau's birth

  • Death of Abigail Adams

  • Whitman's birth

  • Melville's birth

  • Death of Murray

  • Washington Irving's works published

  • undeground railroad is established

    this is important because slavery is a huge part of american history and literature

  • Death of John Adams

  • Death of Jefferson

  • Death of Jacobs

  • Thomas Jefferson's Autobiography Published

  • Dickinson's birth

  • First refrigerator is invented

  • John Whittier's "The Hunters of Men" published

  • Nathaniel Hawthorne's works published

  • samuel colt invents the first revolver

    this is important because it is the first revolver and has become an american classic

  • Ralph Waldo Emerson's "Nature" published

  • the trail of tears occurs

    this is important because it has become a big part of american literature and history

  • Edgar Allen Poe's "Willian Wilson. A Tale" published

  • Edgar allen Poe's "The Fall of the House of usher" published

  • Death of Foster

  • Edgar Allen Poe's "The Man of the Crowd" published

  • Henry Longfellow's "The Slave Singing at Midnight" published

  • Edgar Allen Poe's "The Masque of the Red death" published

  • Edgar Allen Poe's "The Tell-Tale Heart" published

  • Frederick Douglass' "Narrative of the Life" published

  • Rubber bands are invented

  • William Brown's "Narrative of William Brown" published

  • Gold is found in California

    This is important in U.S history because it sets off a massive gold rush that expands the U.S.

  • Death of Poe

  • Thoreau's work published

  • Frederick Douglass' "What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?" published

  • "The narrative of the life and escape of William Wells brown" published

  • William Brown's "The Presidents Daughter" published

  • Whitman's work published

  • William Bradford's "Of Plymouth Plantation" published

  • Dickinson's work published

  • Death of Irving

  • Harriet Jacob's "Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl" published

  • thoreau's death

  • Death Of Hawthorne

  • Bradstreet's Poem's Published

  • Benjamin Franklin's Autobiography published

  • Civil war starts

    this is improtant because it is a defining moment for America and it's values

  • The Letter's of John Adams and Abigail Adams published

  • Typewriter is invented

  • Death of Longfellow

  • Death of Emerson

  • Death of Brown

  • Dickinson's death

  • Ball point pen is invented

  • Melville's death

  • Death of Whittier

  • Whitman's death

  • World's first Ferris wheel

  • Death of Douglass

  • Wright brothers invent the first airplane

    this is important because it shows how america is full of geniuses

  • Melville's works published