The period from 1820 to 1860 is often referred to as the American Renaissance or the Romantic period in American literature. This era saw a flourishing of diverse literary styles and genres, including transcendentalism, gothic fiction, and social reform writing. Here are three prominent authors from this period and their types of writing:
Nathaniel Hawthorne: Hawthorne was a well-known author of gothic fiction and dark romanticism. His works often explore themes of sin, guilt, and morality. His most famous novel, "The Scarlet Letter," tells the story of a woman who is publicly shamed for committing adultery in Puritan New England.
Ralph Waldo Emerson: Emerson was a leading figure in the transcendentalist movement, which emphasized the importance of the individual, nature, and spiritual connection. He was known for his essays, such as "Self-Reliance" and "The American Scholar," which encouraged readers to trust their own thoughts and intuition.
Harriet Beecher Stowe: Stowe was an author and social reformer who wrote the influential anti-slavery novel, "Uncle Tom's Cabin." Her work exposed the harsh realities of slavery and helped fuel the abolitionist movement in the United States.
Other notable authors from this period include Edgar Allan Poe, Henry David Thoreau, Herman Melville, and Emily Dickinson.