Portal:American literature

American literature is literature written or produced in the United States or in its preceding colonies. Before the founding of the United States, the British colonies on the eastern coast of the present-day United States were heavily influenced by English literature. The American literary tradition thus began as part of the broader tradition of English literature.

This portal is not intended as an exhaustive list of works by Americans. Items that are listed might be included in a course on American literature, or have had a significant cultural impact. Literature courses typically do not cover scholarly works, whether historical, philosophical, religious, or scientific, so those works are not listed here. However, scholarly works about American literature are included under the appropriate sections.

See Portal:United States for works created by or pertaining to the government of the United States.