Emily Dickison

Historical Times
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America vs. Emily Dickinson

Historical Background

“What was happening when Emily Dickinson was alive?”

1830’s

-          Indian Removal Act was passed

-          Cholera spread into North America in the early 1830’s

-          Attempted assassination on President Andrew Jackson

-          The first Fairy Tale book was published by Hans Christian Anderson

1840’s

-          William Henry Harrison was the first to die in office. He died from pneumonia.

-          Florida became the 27th state in the United States

-          Mexican-American war began in the late 1840’s

1850’s

-          Construction of the Suez Canal begins

-          Amherst and Williams colleges conducted the first intercollegiate baseball game

-          New York Times is founded

1860’s

-          The American Civil War begins

-          Homestead Act was approved

-          Abraham Lincoln was assassinated by John Wilkes Booth

1870’s

-          African Americans were given the right to vote in the Fifteenth Amendment

-          Retaliation of the US for Little Big Horn Battle

1880’s

-          Statue of Liberty was brought to America

-          Thomas Edison invented the light bulb

-          Adventures of Huckleberry Fin was published by Mark Twain

Historical Influence on Emily
 
The biggest historical event that happened in Emily's life was the American Civil war. This was a time when the US was in great turmoil. There was also a lot of segregation because of the south fighting against the north. Emily stayed to herself and didn't have many ties with the Civil War. Her brother, however, was drafted into the war, but paid a fee in order to get out of serving. Being that there family was well known in their community, they knew many people that served and died in the war. Although Emily didn't have many friends, she still knew the friends of the family that died in the war. Her emotional connection to the people who died in the war that she knew came across in her poetry. One weird thing that happen as a result of the Civil War, Emily only wore mostly white after it ended. Overall, Emily wasn't closely related to any major historical events because of her rebellion to stay secluded in her room during these times.

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