ART PROFILE 1: EARLY IMMIGRANT GROUPS

LITERATURE VISUAL MUSIC
Charles Brockden Brown 1771-1810 Gilbert Stuart (1755-1828)  John Newton 1725- 1807
 Arthur Mervyn 1793 George Washington  Amazing Grace 1760
Charles Brockden Brown is one of our earliest novelists and came from a Philadelphia, PA Quaker family. Initially he worked in the family export business and his parents were hoping he would go into law. Eventually Brown ended up in a circle of New York literary professionals. Brown's novel writing from 1790-1801 and is considered exemplary of gothic fiction.

This dark style is reflected in his most popular novel Arthur Mervyn which deals with conflicts between rural and urban America of 1793. Also, the stress of disease (Yellow Fever epidemic of 1793)  and violence of the Pennsylvania frontierplay significant roles in this novel. Brown's Quaker background stimulates themes of anti violence and women's rights.

In 1810 Charles Brown died at the age of 39. His writings have recently gained more attention and scholarship.