Timeline Description: The written word was one of man's greatest accomplishments. Once settlers began arriving in America, they immediately began writing about their experiences; they never stopped writing.
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| 1616 | John Smith's writings One of the most famous early American explorers was also one of the first American writers. John Smith published A Description of New England, an account of his explorations. |
| 1776 | In Common Sense The height of the American Revolution produced tension between colonists and loyalists to the British crown. Thomas Paine, an English immigrant, published In Common Sense, encouraging the settlers to fight for their freedom. |
| 1783 | Noah Webster's Spelling Book A handful of children's workbooks were created throughout America's history, but one of the most well-known is Noah Webster's spelling book. His works would continue for years to come, and become known as Webster's dictionary. |
| 1800 | Library of Congress The government recognized the importance of literature and writings. The US Library of Congress was established in Washington. |
| 1820 | Washington Irving One of America's most well-known early writers was Washington Irving. His first great work came out in 1820, titled Rip Van Winkle. |
| 1821 | James Fenimore Cooper A US author named James Cooper established himself with a spy tale set during the Revolutionary War. It was titled The Spy, and it would be followed two years later with The Pioneers. |
| 1826 | The Last of the Mohicans James Fenimore Cooper continued his writing career to much fame. One of his greatest works was The Last of the Mohicans. |
| 1829 | Edgar Allan Poe Edgar began his career as one of the great American gothic poets. Some of his most famous works were The Pit and the Pendulum, and The Raven. |
| 1850 | Nathaniel Hawthorne After several years of writing, Nathaniel Hawthorne published his most famous novel. Titled The Scarlet Letter, it has lived on for years. |
| 1851 | Herman Melville's Moby Dick Another famous novel coming out of the mid-1800's was a book by Herman Melville. It was a story brought about by his adventures at sea, and it was titled Moby Dick; or The Whale. |
| 1852 | An antislavery movement Tensions had been growing throughout the country due to the use of slavery. Harriet Beecher Stowe wrote Uncle Tom's Cabin, and it set the country on fire to end slavery. |
| 1863 | Mark Twain comes on the scene Born as Samuel Clemens, Mark Twain wrote under a pen name. His first published work was a magazine article, City's Territorial Enterprise; his most famous works included The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. |
| 1866 | Walt Whitman Walt had previously published several poems. One of his most famous poems was a tribute to Abraham Lincoln called O Captain! My Captain! |
| 1936 | Gone With the Wind Decades passed with numerous iconic books and poems being published. In 1936, Margaret Mitchell published Gone with the Wind, which would become one of the best-selling novels of all time, even being made into a movie. |
| 1937 | John Steinbeck A new age of great American writers was blooming. John Steinbeck was one of them, whose most famous works included Of Mice and Men, and The Grapes of Wrath. |
| 1950's and beyond | Half a century of literature American literature continued to grow and change. Catcher in the Rye by JD Salinger, and To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee were just two of the iconic novels written during this time. The American literature industry would continue blooming, and still produces great literature today. |