ENGL 2655-001: Introduction to American Literature I, Early Ethnic American Writing (Spring 2019)

This course will explore traditions and intersections of American Indian, African American, Latinx, and other ethnic American literary writing from 鈥渄iscovery鈥 (contact) to settlement (the colonies) to nationhood (revolution) to near dissolution and tentative resolution (the Civil War). In this course, writings that are often treated as entries that 鈥渁ugment鈥 the 鈥渃anon鈥 will instead be understood as central to defining American literary history. Readings may include novels, poetry, speeches, oral narratives, autobiographies, and letters including such topics/titles as origin stories, Jamestown and Pocahontas, Spanish exploration, The Female American, 齿颈肠辞迟茅苍肠补迟濒, The Confessions of Nat Turner, The Heroic Slave, and Joaqu铆n Murieta. The semester will close with a discussion of Lin-Manuel Miranda鈥檚 recent Broadway smash Hamilton.