ENG 225 - American Print Culture 1700-1900

The years from 1700 to 1900 witnessed a transformation of print culture from the handpress period to an age of mechanical reproduction. The rapidly increasing availability of inexpensive print technologies had a tremendous impact on habits of publishing, of writing, and of reading itself. In this course, students will examine how the material contexts of print culture in early America affected and were affected by notions of authorship, readership, gender, genre, and popular and elite taste. Some sessions will be conducted at the American Antiquarian Society where students will be able to examine archival material in hands-on workshops. For the final research paper, students will be encouraged to use resources from the AAS, from Goddard Library Special Collections, and/or from the many new digital humanities archives now available online. 

For English majors, this course satisfies the D-2 or E requirement, but not both. For English minors, this course counts as a 200-level English seminar.

 

Prerequisites: Prerequisites: One 100-level English literature course (ENG 100-199) or permission of instructor

Course Designation/Attribute: POP

Anticipated Terms Offered: Biannually