From the Pre-Colonial period through the Civil War period, American literature has changed dramatically. Writers were able to greatly influence society through Puritan, revolutionary, transcendental, and Civil War time periods.

Pre-Colonial and Puritan writers were very important in the development of our culture. One of the first American authors was William Bradford. His vivid description of life on an early American settlement was portrayed in Of Plymouth Plantation. Although Bradford's account of the Plymouth settlement was influenced by his strong Puritan beliefs, it still accurately depicts the struggle early American settlers endured. One of the first prominent American poets was Anne Bradstreet. Anne Bradstreet's To My Dear and Loving Husband is an example of how personal and emotional her writing was. Due to her strong Puritan beliefs, she included her strong tie with God in the majority of her poems. In Upon the Burning of Our House, she...