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James Fenimore Cooper
James Fenimore Cooper was born in Cooperstown, New York. His writing was inspired by the wild frontier, Native American culture, and his service in the NAVY. -
End of the French Revolution (AD)
During the French Revolution, French citizens revolted and shaped a new political landscape which took away absolute monarchy and the Feudal System. The French Revolution ended at the beginning of the Romantic time period and severed as its background. -
Nathaniel Hawthorne
Nathaniel Hawthorne, an American author and short story writer was born in Salem, Massachusetts. Most famous for his novel, The Scarlett Letter. The story focuses on a woman’s repentance and dignity, a topic previously unexplored by other writers. -
Napoleon becomes the ruler of the French (AD)
Napoleon I Bonaparte proclaimed himself the Emperor of the French. Napoleon takes the imperial crown from the previous ruler, Pope Pius VII. This was significant to the time period because this was the first time Napoleon was painted and used as an icon to enhance the campaign to lead troops across the Alps to defeat their Austrian foes. -
Edagr Allan Poe
Edgar Allan Poe was born in Boston Massachusetts. He was an American author best known for his tales of mystery and considered one of the founding fathers of science fiction. His most famous poems include “The Tell-Tale Heart” and “The Fall of the House of Usher.” Each poem conveyed a dark, gothic and creepy vibe. -
Medusa (AD)
The French war ship, the Medusa, was abandoned off the coast of Africa. The ship's captain abandoned 150 passengers on a makeshift raft. Only fifteen survived the thirteen days at sea. Painters took this controversial event to depict the human anguish and futile struggle of man against nature. -
Napoleon's Downfall (AD)
This marked the end Napoleon’s rules over France. After the end of the Napoleon regime, a rejection of the rationalism of Enlightenment thought became prominent. Thus, emphasizing the beauty of nature, individualism, the arts and religion. -
Thoreau
Henry David Thoreau, the father of Transcendentalism, was born. He spent a lot of his writing focused on the environment and its connection to the human soul. -
Wanderer Above the Sea of Fog by Caspar David Friedrich (TX)
The Romantics believed that any artist who wanted to explore his own emotions, had necessarily to stand outside of the norm of money-making, political trickery, and urban noise in order to assert and maintain their positions. Friedrich was captivated by the idea of encountering nature in solitude, on the edge of the sea, or as here on the pinnacle of a mountain, which was about as far away from urban civilization as an European man could get. -
Walt Whitman
The father of Free-Verse, Walt Whitman was born in Long Island. He was known for incorporating the ideas of transcendentalism and realism in his literature. -
Symphony No. 9 by Ludwig van Beethoven (TX)
Ludwig van Beethoven was crucial figure in transition between the Classical and Romantic era. He expressed intense feelings in music.Symphony No. 9 , completed in 1824, is notable not only for its length and complexity, but for the introduction of vocal soloists and a chorus into the final movement, as if the purely instrumental form of the classical symphony could not express all that he felt. After this radical departure from tradition, many composers felt free to experiment. -
The Last of the Mohicans
Last of the Mohicans (James Fenimore Cooper). This Novel was highly criticized during its time period due to the Romanticism portrayed with the Native Americans and their culture. The novel tells the story of a Royal woman who falls in love with a Native. -
Liberty Leading the People by Eugene Delacroix (TX)
Eugene Delacroix was born when the style of romanticism was emerging. He rejected the emphasis on precise drawing of the academic art and promoted freely brushed colors. Commemorated the July Revolution of 1830. The woman in the painting signifies Liberty leads the people forward, holding the flag of French Revolution. Delacroix’s political masterpiece reflected the revolt against aristocracy occurring during the Romantic era. -
Emily Dickinson
Emily Dickinson was born in Amherst, Massachusetts. Throughout her career as a poet, Dickinson has written nearly 1800 poems. Her poems were unique in the fact that most dealt with death and loss. -
"The Raven"
The Raven Loony Toons“The Raven”, one of Edgar Allan Poe’s most famous poems, was published. Dark and somber, this work of literature was truly a unique piece. -
Hungarian Rhaposodies by Franz Liszt (TX)
Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2 in C# minor clipFranz Liszt was a Hungarian composer, pianist, conductor and teacher. His Hungarian Rhaposodies is a set of 19 piano pieces based on Hungarian fold themes. This composition represented the expression of nationalism during the Romantic era. Liszt is often credited with the creation of the symphonic poem: extended, single-movement works for orchestra, inspired by paintings, plays, poems or other literary works.His work strongly advocated for the expression of individualism. -
Walden
The novel Walden, written by Thoreau, was published. This book emphasized the importance of independence and the individual’s spirit in connection to society. Thoreau conducted a social experiment in which he locked himself away from society. -
Austro-Prussian War (AD)
The Austro-Prussian War, also known as the Seven Weeks' War, produced the result of total exclusion of Austria from political control in Germany. In the following year, Austria reorganizes as the Austro-Hungarian Empire. This event is the first representation of nationalism for the Austrian citizens. -
Principles of the Romantic Time Period
Romanticism was inspired by the Industrial Revolution and the Age of Enlightenment. It was a revolt against aristocracy and social norms. Romanticism was strongly associated with liberalism, radicalism, and nationalism. The Romantic era especially valued individualism, intuition, and imagination. It shifted from faith in reason to faith in feelings and imagination; a shift from interest in urban society to an interest in nature and the rural areas.
