Newly independent from the British, the nineteenth century saw Americans eager to forge a new national identity for their new nation. While the expansion of rail travel increased the geographic unity of the country, this new accessibility made disparate regional identities within the nation ever- more apparent to its citizens. Through nineteenth century prose and poetry, this class will consider the tension between national and regional identity inherent to our nation.  Course readings will include works by Herman Melville, Frederick Douglass, Sophia Alice Callahan, Mark Twain, and Kate Chopin.