American Romanticism was a literary and artistic movement that emerged in the early 19th century, emphasizing emotion, nature, and individualism. It was a reaction against the rationalism of the Enlightenment and sought to explore the depths of human experience through imagination and creativity. Key figures of this movement included writers like Edgar Allan Poe, Nathaniel Hawthorne, and Walt Whitman, who celebrated the beauty of the American landscape and the complexities of the human spirit. American Romanticism laid the groundwork for future literary movements and continues to influence art and literature today.