Initial Studies in American Letters

by Henry A. Beers

[Originally published in 1891]

William Dean Howells

In writing this work I have aimed to present the subject in a sort of continuous essay rather than in the form of a “primer” or elementary manual. I have not undertaken to describe, or even to mention, every American author or book of importance, but only those which seemed to me of most significance. Nevertheless I believe that the sketch contains enough detail to make it of some use as a guide-book to our literature. Though meant to be mainly a history of American belles-lettres, it makes some mention of historical and political writings, but hardly any of philosophical, scientific, and technical works.

A chronological rather than a topical order has been followed. In the reading courses appended to the different chapters I have named a few of the most important authorities in American literary history, such as Duyckinck, Tyler, Stedman, and Richardson.

CHAPTER I. THE COLONIAL PERIOD, 1607-1765

CHAPTER II. THE REVOLUTIONARY PERIOD, 1765-1815

CHAPTER III. THE ERA OF NATIONAL EXPANSION, 1815-1837

CHAPTER IV. THE CONCORD WRITERS, 1837-1861

CHAPTER V. THE CAMBRIDGE SCHOLARS, 1837-1861

CHAPTER VI. LITERATURE IN THE CITIES, 1837-1861

CHAPTER VII. LITERATURE SINCE 1861

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Note: Residing, as I now do, in a portion of the southwestern United States that was once a part of New Spain, I feel compelled to point out that this excellent work might more correctly be called Initial Studies in American Letters in English. This is not an attempt at political correctness, but simply a recognition that the Colonial Period referred to by Beers is really only the English Colonial period; to give just one example of other colonial activities that took place in what is now the United States of America, The "Kingdom of New Mexico" was first claimed for the Spanish Crown in 1540.
--D.J. McAdam