American literature is the
literature written or produced in the area of the
United States and its
preceding colonies. For more specific discussions of poetry and theater, see
Poetry of the United States and
Theater in the United States. During its early history, America was a series of British colonies on the eastern coast of the present-day United States. Therefore, its literary tradition begins as linked to the broader tradition of
English literature. However, unique American characteristics and the breadth of its production usually now cause it to be considered a separate path and tradition.