The Cambridge Introduction to Early American Literature (Cambridge Introductions to Literature)

Presenting a literary history of American writing (from 1492 to 1820) and a concise social and cultural history, Emory Elliott traces the impact of race, gender, and ethnic conflict on early American culture. He explores the centrality of American Puritanism in the formation of a distinctively American literature. This highly comprehensive study is essential reading for students of the literature, history and culture of early America.