Early American Literature and Culture at the Nation's Founding

Dr. Michael Martin, Associate Professor of English at Nicholls State University, explores how the advent of the American Revolution brought to the forefront a national awareness of what constitutes "American" literature. Authors such as Ralph Waldo Emerson and Washington Irving, considered "Americanness" or tried to create fiction based upon a national ideal. Early American literature came from a variety of genres -- Native American oratory, essay writing, the sketch form, short fiction, and more. This talk explores how founding documents, including the Constitution and the rights therein, helped shape early American literature and culture. In art, landscape paintings of American scenes also came to the forefront.

Dr. Martin specializes in 19th-century American Literature. He enjoys teaching Early American Literature, British Literature, and Academic and Professional Writing.