American romanticism was an artistic and literary movement that began in the late 18th century and lasted until the mid-19th century. It was characterized by a focus on nature, the individual, and the emotions. American romantic writers sought to break away from the formal, rational, and classical style of writing that was prevalent in Europe at the time. Instead, they sought to capture the uniqueness of the American experience and landscape by writing about themes such as freedom, democracy, nature, and exploration.
The American romantic movement was also influenced by the Transcendentalist movement, which emphasized the power of the individual and the importance of intuition and emotion. Many important American romantic writers were also part of this movement (including Henry David Thoreau).
Some of the most famous American romantic writers include James Fenimore Cooper, Washington Irving, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Edgar Allan Poe, Walt Whitman and Herman Melville (who wrote Moby Dick). Some notable American romantic painters include Thomas Cole (who painted The Course of Empire), Asher B. Durand (who created The Vision of Peace), Frederic Edwin Church (who painted Niagara Falls) and Albert Bierstadt (who painted The Rocky Mountains)
