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19 Century American Literature Practice Test
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The Revolutionary War brought an end to America’s
political dependence on England, but the cultural lifeline 1
proved much harder to cut. For nearly two centuries, the
American colonies had simply been viewed as the furthest Reading
outposts of English and, in a broader sense, European
culture, and the literature of the colonies had reflected this
view, aping European themes and conventions. The war
and the gaining of independence, however, had made it
clear to most Americans that they were, in fact, no longer
Europeans. Their values, sensibilities, and concerns were no
longer those of the English, but something entirely new,
and yet their literature failed to reflect this. The novels of
Charles Brockden Brown, essentially facsimiles of English
Gothic novels, provide a good example of the type of
writing being produced in America at the time. Slowly,
however, writers began to emerge whose work could
honestly be said to be unique and truly American.
One of the first such authors was Washington Irving.
Irving’s work possessed a sharp satirical wit, which along
with the rough hewn voice of his narration, differentiated
him from European writers of his time. Irving first gained
notice with his A History of New-York from the Beginning of
the World to the End of the Dutch Dynasty, which he
published under the pseudonym Diedrich Knickerbocker.
The work was a comedic yet caustic look at New England
society and lampooned many of New York’s leading families.
Still, the book was highly popular, and Irving began to
receive widespread recognition both at home and abroad.
In 1815, Irving left for Europe on a trip that would
ultimately take him away from home for 17 years. Irving
was immensely popular at this time and did much to
enhance the reputation of American literature in Europe.
Ironically, it was during this period that Irving, widely hailed
as the first “American” author, wrote some of his most
important works. Both Rip Van Winkle and The Legend of
Sleepy Hollow were written at this time, and both clearly

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