What So Proudly We Hail
The Meaning of America: Freedom and Religion
The United States of America was founded on firm ideals of both the pursuit of happiness and a spirit of reverence. Through a close reading of Nathaniel Hawthorne's "The May-Pole of Merry Mount," you can examine what some consider was a...
What So Proudly We Hail
The Meaning of America: National Identity and Why It Matters
Combining a close reading of a classic American text with the study of history can be a very powerful strategy, and this is most certainly the case with this resource using Edward Everett Hale's The Man without a Country. Consider themes...
Annenberg Foundation
Annenberg Learner: American Passages: Gothic Undercurrents: Herman Melville
Prompted to write so as to raise his family out of debt, Herman Melville, acclaimed American author of the nineteenth century is portrayed in this brief biography. See "Herman Melville Activities" for related materials.
Blackdog Media
Classic Reader: Moby Dick by Herman Melville
This is the complete text of the classic novel "Moby Dick" by Herman Melville.
Indiana University
The Piazza Tales (Full Text) by Herman Melville
Full-texts of such Melville works as "Bartleby the Scrivner" and "Benito Cerino" can be read as facsimiles of the original editions as well as PDF and plain text documents.
University of Groningen
American History: Outlines: Herman Melville Overview
This site contains biographical information about Herman Melville, as well as critical analysis of his works. Includes links to online text for Melville's major works.
Bibliomania
Bibliomania: Full Text of Billy Budd
This site from Bibliomania contains the full text to Herman Melville's Billy Budd written in 1891. A brief but factual introduction is given along with a table of contents that has each chapter of the book accessible by link.
New York University
Nyu: Literature, Arts and Medicine Database
NYU's Literature, Arts and Medicine Database is a collection of writings, art and film that encompass the medical humanities. Full texts of fiction, poetry, drama and nonfiction are available, as well as artworks and film clips. Summary...
Other
Eng 223: American Literature Before 1865
Online syllabus for a college Pre-Civil War American Literature class with links to information about each class lesson. These lessons contain some good teaching ideas and background information about a number of famous authors, much of...
Shmoop University
Shmoop: Bartleby the Scrivener
Read about Bartleby the Scrivener one of Herman Melville's most studied works. Read about the major characters and their endeavors.
Shmoop University
Shmoop: Billy Budd
The final novel by Herman Melville is Billy Budd. This fascinating site analysis the plot and setting of the novel.
Wikimedia
Wikipedia: Literatura De Los Estados Unidos
Wikipedia overview in Spanish of American literature from its roots to contemporary authors and themes. This entry is a broad sweep -- no era is covered in depth but it's a helpful "big picture" view for Spanish-speaking students, with...
Digital History
Digital History: The American Renaissance
A description of American Romantic authors, their backgrounds and what they wrote. These writers made American literature truly American.
Shmoop University
Shmoop: Moby Dick
Written in 1851 this tale is about Captain Ahab's quest for revenge on the White Whale. Read about the quest, themes and the characters in this fascinating site.