1865-1914: A Brief Summary

1. What, if anything, did you learn that you didn't know before? And why/how does it seem significant or meaningful? After reading “1865-1914: A Brief Overview”, I must admit that I already possessed knowledge of the historical occurrences and changes in society that occurred between 1865 and 1914. However, because I obtained this knowledge from a United States history course, I was not necessarily aware of the changes in literature that were taking place during this time period. From this article, I have learned that literature was undergoing an evolution between 1865 and 1914, and that there was a drastic growth of diversity in the aforementioned literature. Based on the overview, authors also strived to accurately capture locally-centered cultures through the use of realism. During this time period, the United States itself was undergoing an evolution, and there were drastic changes occurring throughout both the country and society. Due to this, the use of realism and the growing diversity in literature is meaningful because, as stated in the overview, authors were attempting to capture various diverse communities and regions “before industrialization and cultural homogenization erased them” (“1865–1914: A Brief Overview”). This means that the changes occurring in the United
These changes were due to the fact that immigration was on the rise, the recently concluded Civil War had stimulated technology and introduced many new inventions such as electricity and the telephone, and a newly reformed United States made its mark on the world, establishing its dominancy. All of these things combined left Americans scrambling to adjust, whether it be to growing competition in the job market, innovative technology never seen before, or the world’s new expectations of the United