American Writers Final: Key Terms

Transcendentalism

Transcendentalism is a philosophical, spiritual, and literary movement that emerged in the late 1820s and 1830s in New England. It emphasizes the inherent goodness of people and nature, advocating for self-reliance and individual intuition over societal institutions and materialism

Self-Reliance

They key to Emersonian though, the idea of knowing and trusting oneself. A plea to not conform to society’s standards, tradition, or the general people.

Voluntary poverty

refers to the way Thoreau lives in his book Walden. The act of living simply and the willfulness to live with less. By living a simpler life and rejecting materialism and consumerism, Thoreau aims to cultivate a richer spiritual and intellectual life

The Columbian Orator

collection of speeches, essays and dialogues to tach public speaking, rhetoric, and moral philosophy. Used by Fredrick Douglass to teach himself oration and rhetoric. (1797) Helped give Douglass words to his emotions and thoughts about slavery as well as gave him even more resentement and understanding of it.

Trail of Tears

the forced relocation of Native Americans from their ancestral lands in the Southeastern United States to the designated “Indian Territory” west of the Mississippi. Happened in the 1830’s under the policies of Andrew Jackson and the Indian removal Act of 1830

Walkers Appeal

First appeal to Jefferson’s notes on the state of Virginia, David Walker writes his appeal in 1829. Showed the brutality and hypocrisy of slavery in a nation founded on liberty. The document caused such alarm to white southern Americans, laws were passed to ban southern slaves from possessing the book. Douglass marked this as the start of the slave rebellion. Seen as the most incendiary attack on slavery in the antebellum period.

Sophia Auld

Wife of Hugh Auld. Her transformation from a caring and gentle woman to a cruel and controlling master is attributed to the dehumanization of the white slaveholders by slavery.

Aunt Hester

The whipping by her enslaver Captain Anthony marks one of Douglass’ earliest and most vivid memories of slavery. This moment not only represents Douglass’ loss of innocence, but it also shows the barbarity and cruelness of slavery especially in terms of a vulnerable enslaved woman.

Apostrophe

A literary term used for when a character calls out to someone or something that is either not literally present in the text, or cannot respond, such as an inanimate object. Brings focus to what they are referring to, moment of reflection. Douglass’ apostrophe to the ships

Allegory

A literary device used to give something a double meaning. There is the surface level, straightforward story or characters, then there is the parallel meaning or message that is hidden and symbolized by the surface level characters, story, or events.

Slave Narrative

an account of the life, or major portion of the life of a fugitive or former slave, either written or orally related by the slave personally. Part of the abolitionsit movement

Garrison’s abolitionism

moral suasion (non-violence)

the constitution is a proslavery document (therefore no one should vote in elections or otherwise participate in the political process

immediatism (slavery is immoral and must end immediately)

Angela Grimke’s 4 ways white southern women can end slavery

read about it (the bible)

pray on it

speak on the subject (persuasion)

act (manumit your slaves)

Bleeding Kansas

1854-1859. Border war in Kansas territory from the debate of if Kansas would join the union as a slave state or a free state

Live deliberately

Explored in Thoreau’s Walden. Means to live with the freedom to read the world and weigh its meaning. To live life mindfully and aware, with purpose in everything you do.