American Literature Context

1861-1865 - American Civil War - civil war in American involving the Southern slave states and the Union

1875 - Civil Rights Act - a law that guarenteed African-Americans equal treatment in public accommodations, public transport and to prohibit exclusion from jury service

1880 - Jim Crow Laws - legalised segregation between black and white people

1914-1918 - World War I - the war between the Allies and the Central Powers that lasted four years, won by the Allies (Britain, France and America)

1920 - Age of Consumerism - the rise of prosperity in America led to the consumerism period where goods and services were bought in ever-increasing amounts, including communication, transportation and manufacturing

1920 - Prohibition - the nationwide constitutional ban of the production, importation, transportation and sale of alcohol (lasted until 1933) to attempt to reduce crime and corruption, solve social problems and improve health

1920 - F. Scott Fitzgerald wrote The Great Gatsby

1929 - Wall Street Crash/The Great Depression - the world economy fell into the Great Depression due to economic imbalances and strucylar failings, causing people to live in primitive conditions with a large unemployed population

1931 - Empire State Building built - constructed during the Great Depression, the Empire State Building was a significant boost to the morale of New York

1931 - Scottsboro Boys - nine black teenage boys accused of ****** two white American women on a train, with the landmark set of legal cases from this incident showing racism and a lack of right to a fair trial, often seen as an example of miscarriage of justice in the USA legal systems

1938 - Robert Nixon case - American serial killer confessed to five murders and multiple assaults such as the 'brick bat murders' as mentioned in the news article studied with Native Son

1940 - Richard Wright wrote Native Son (set in 1930)

1942 - Albert Camus wrote L'entranger

1954-1968 - African-American Civil Rights Movement - social movement to end racial segregation and discrimination against black people and to secure production of their rights

The American Dream - the national ethos of the United States, providing a set of ideals (democracy, rights, liberty, opportunity and equality) in which freedom includes the opportunity for prosperity and success and an upward social mobility, achieved through hard with in a society with few barriers

The Jazz Age – a post-World War 1 movement from which jazz music and dance emerged, however ended with the outset of the Great Depression

Political Parties – the communist party was openly hated during this time period, many American citizens feared communist supporters and they can be seen as the antithesis of what America stood for