1810 - 1840 is known as the Knickerbockers’ Era of American literature. The name comes from "A History of New York" by Dietrich Knickerbocker, a pseudonym of Washington Irving. It was a humorous rather than a serious history of the city. He invented many of the events and legends he wrote about in the book. … Continue reading A sinopsis of US literature: 1810 – 1854.