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American literature
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American literature Article

What are the periods of American literature?

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American literature is often divided into six major periods:

  • Pre-colonization
  • The Colonial and Early National period (17th century to 1830)
  • The Romantic period (1830 to 1870)
  • Realism and Naturalism (1870 to 1910)
  • The Modernist period (1910 to 1945)
  • The Contemporary period (1945 to present)

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