Cyclopaedia of American Literature

The Cyclopaedia of American Literature is a significant two-volume work by Evert Augustus Duyckinck and his brother George Long Duyckinck, published in 1855 with a supplement in 1866. This compilation focused scholarly attention on American writing, contributing to the advancement of American literature in the mid-19th century.1

The Cyclopaedia features biographical and critical information on writers from colonial times to its publication, alongside selections from their works. Evert Augustus Duyckinck was an editor and critic who also co-edited influential literary journals like Arcturus and the Literary World, fostering the careers of many notable writers, including Herman Melville. The work aimed to document and promote the burgeoning field of American literature, which was beginning to establish its own identity distinct from British traditions.123