Progress in America Through Literature and History

Exhibit:

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Progress has been one of the defining characteristics of U.S. history; from the Industrial Revolution to Westward Expansion to the Race to the Moon, America established itself as the nation of progress. In many regards, this notion of progress seeps into literature as well, which this exhibit will explore.

AS ENTRIES WERE NOT ADDED IN CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER, PLEASE REFER TO THE NUMBERICAL NOTATION PREFACING EACH ENTRY.

Images in this Exhibit

[2] Outcome of the American Revolution and Rip Van Winkle

Following the establishment of colonies and settlements in America, tensions rapidly grew between the British and the American colonists, leading to the American Revolutionary War. This war resulted in the formation of a whole new, independent country, the United States of America, which operated under a democratic system free from its monarchical roots. However, what if one were not troubled by politics and global affairs? What would the Revolutionary War mean to them? Well, this question can be answered through the timeless tale of "Rip Van Winkle" by Washington Irving.

The story...

Industrial Revolution