American History vs. American Literature American Literature looks at and depicts our American Heritage. It goes into depth what many history books could never cover. Whether it's poetry, drama, novel, short story, biography, satire, humor, or folk literature, all Literature holds a special place in many Americans hearts. America has produced every type of literature, and has done it well. The first American writings were not literature. They were reports of what was happening to the settlers. The colonists kept diaries and wrote their travels and the new country. They made r