Important High School Literature - Early American?

I'm a junior and my English class next year will revolve around early American literature. Are there any specific books or writers that are considered essential for this field? I’d love to get a head start this summer.

There are several important authors and works in the field of early American literature. Here's a short list to get you started:

1. Benjamin Franklin's "Autobiography": This is an iconic work that provides a look into the life of one of America's founding fathers. It provides a wonderful window into the mindset and values of the time.

2. Nathaniel Hawthorne's "The Scarlet Letter": This 1850 novel explores themes of sin, guilt, and legalism in colonial New England. The story revolves around a woman who becomes pregnant while her husband is missing and the societal consequences she faces for her actions.

3. Herman Melville's "Moby-Dick": This 1851 novel follows a sailor's pursuit of a giant white whale, and is often read as a deeper allegory for 19th-century American society.

4. Henry David Thoreau's "Walden": This is Thoreau's reflections on simple living in nature and is considered an important work of transcendentalism.

5. Harriet Beecher Stowe's "Uncle Tom's Cabin": This influential novel, published in 1852, discusses the harsh realities of slavery and played a crucial role in creating public discourse around anti-slavery sentiments before the Civil War.

6. Frederick Douglass' "Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave": This powerful autobiography offers firsthand insight into the horrors of slavery and the profound courage it took for individuals to escape and seek freedom.

Of course, American literature is vast and diverse, including Native American tales, colonial narratives, and early poetry, but this list contains some of the most seminal works that have helped shape our understanding of early American society. Happy reading!