Welcome to today’s explanation of Romanticism in my series- APUSH in 1 Minute Daily!

Thomas Paine’s Common Sense, Wikimedia Commons

During the Revolutionary Era, there was a philosophical movement known as the Enlightenment which emphasized the importance of reason, logic, and order. However, in the early 1800s, there was a major cultural shift to a new way of thinking, called Romanticism.

Nathaniel Hawthorne, The Scarlet Letter, Wikimedia Commons

Romanticism was a cultural, artistic, and intellectual movement that focused on intuition, emotion, and creativity. It impacted the way that Americans viewed their world.

Thomas Cole, View on Lake Winnipiseogee, Wikimedia Commons

One of the main ways Romanticism was demonstrated was through art and literature. The movement idealized nature and beauty. Landscapes were more frequently painted as it was viewed as a source of inspiration.

George Caleb Bingham, The Jolly Flatboatmen, NPR 

Romanticism also celebrated the uniqueness of individuals and emphasized the importance of personal freedom and self-expression. There was an increased focus on ordinary Americans in the period.

In a challenge to earlier Enlightenment ideals, Romanticism shifted American creative expressions. There was a stronger emphasis on nature and human emotions that played a large role in the development of American national culture.

Join me tomorrow as I explain Transcendentalism in the next APUSH in 1 Minute Daily!