The American Landscape (1800 - 1850)

Grade Appropriate:  9 -12

Objectives:

• to introduce students to the romantic cultural movement  in America beginning  the first half of the 19th century
• to help students to consider Washington Irving's Sunnyside home as an example of the romantic cultural movement

National Standards Connections:

This lesson plans meets the following learning standards as organized by the Mid-Continent Regional Educational Laboratory (see Links for Web address).

Language Arts (9 - 12):  Understands historical and cultural influences on literary works.

History (9 - 12):  Analyzes the values held by specific people who influenced history and the role their values played in influencing history.

Art (9 - 12): Knows how characteristics of the arts vary within a particular historical period or style and how these characteristics relate to ideas, issues, or themes in other disciplines.

Suggested Time Allowance:

Three 45-minute sessions

Background for Teachers: (See About WI, About Sunnyside , and Links for more information)

During the early half of the 19th century, American artists engaged in creating scenes romanticizing the American landscape.  At this point in American history, there were many natural locations that remained relatively unexplored, yet many more that were in the process of being spoiled by the effects of industrialization and expansionism.  Numerous artists illustrated their reverence for the beauty of the American landscape and for the vastness of the wilderness. Members of the Hudson River School - which was established by Thomas Cole in the 1820s-- were the most popular landscape artists of the early 19th century. They created dramatic works that included popular sites such as the Hudson River and the Catskill Mountains.  Some of these artists  were reflecting their belief in harmony between nature and humans, viewing nature as a source of inspiration for Americans.  Other artists were depicting their dismay at the invasion of human advancements by presenting railroads, steamships, and houses surrounded by beautiful environments.

Authors of the early 19th century were also reflecting their concern for the American landscape in their writing.  It was during this period that romantic and transcendental literature was produced, both of which glorified nature and celebrated individualism. For example, American transcendental philosopher Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote Nature: Addresses and Lectures (1836) which is a commentary on the relationship between humans and nature. Washington Irving, considered a participant in the romantic movement in America, used the American landscape as the backdrop for his popular legends Rip Van Winkle and The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.  Rip Van Winkle sleeps through the entire Revolutionary War in the Catskill Mountains of upstate New York and the fictional Sleepy Hollow is actually the lower Hudson River area near Tarrytown, New York. Irving also designed his home in the romantic style.  This meant that a variety of styles could be matched together as long as the final result was beautiful.  The landscape was also arranged in a particular way so as to give the effect of a peaceful environment.
 

Vocabulary: (Complete List)

American Romantic movement:
a cultural movement in American history that took place during the first half of the 19th century and was influenced by the European Romantic movement of the late 1700s.  Members of this movement revolted against the established neoclassic school.  Characterized in music, literature, painting, architecture, and landscape and furniture design by the individuality and feeling of the producer;  often looked to untouched natural  sources and the common man for inspiration.

transcendentalism: 
a literary and philosophical movement that began during the early 19th century in New England by Emerson and others.  Influenced by the Romantic movement, as well as  the philosophies of Kant and Hegel.  Emphasized nature as a source of human inspiration, almost on a religious level. Human intuition and relationship with nature very important.

Activities / Procedures:

1.  Discussion: Discuss with your students what is meant by the Romantic and transcendental movements in American cultural history and why they were   so popular during the early 19th century when we find the beginning of the Industrial Revolution.

Introduce students to Washington Irving's Sunnyside.  (Print  out the informa tion provided in the background section.  Distribute copies to your students and   read aloud together "About Sunnyside.") Discuss how Irving's home is considered one of the finest examples of a romantic-style American home. If you are unable to visit  Sunnyside in person, have your students examine works of art depicting Sunnyside . Suggested questions:   What aspects of his home do you consider "romantic" or highly unusual?  If you were to create your own version of a "romantic" home, what design elements would you include?

2.   Viewing Art: Show slides of the work by Hudson River School artists and have students discuss what they think were the philosophical intentions of the artists.  You can find slides of Hudson River School artists in most local slide libraries.  You can also have your students examine some of these works on-line (see Links   for suggested web sites). Suggested questions:  What  was the overall concern for the American landscape during the early 19th century?  Why do you think artists were concerned with depicting the relationship of humans to nature during this period?  How does Washington Irving's Sunnyside reflect similar concerns of the   Hudson River School artists?

3.   Reading Activity: Have your students read a piece of literature from the American transcendental  and romantic periods.  You might wish them to read   works by transcendentalists Emerson or Thoreau and romanticists Irving or Poe in which they present their views on the relationship of humans to  nature.

Suggested questions:  What are some of the similar concerns among the writers? Are there any similarities or differences among how  their concerns were presented? How is this material relevant today? Do we share any similar concerns for and views of nature?
 

Assessment:

Through their involvement in several discussions, and a reading and writing activity, students will demonstrate their understanding of how the American landscape was viewed by artists, writers, architects, and landscape designers.  Criteria for assessment include:

1. active involvement in discussions
2. descriptive language in discussions
3. ability to present in an essay the relationships between  artwork, literature, and home and landscape designs that were evident in the 19th century.