Special Topics in American Literature, 1620-1865

This course will explore a specific topic in US literary history, concentrating on a specific period, movement, or development between the early colonial period and the American Civil War. Each iteration of the course will concentrate on a distinct period, such as the colonial era, Revolutionary era, antebellum era, or some portion/combination thereof. Sample course titles: The American Slave Narrative; The American Constitution as Work of Art; Melville and Modernity; American Literature before the "United States"; Resisting "Removal": American Literature and the Trail of Tears.