Emily Dickinson was writing at an explosive time in American history. A brief snapshot of the events of her lifetime includes the Mexican–American War, the California Gold Rush, the first women's rights convention, Harriet Tubman's escape on the Underground Railroad, the publication of Uncle Tom's Cabin, the Civil War, and the shootings of two Presidents. By the time Dickinson was born, the country had steam-powered locomotives and gas lamps, which were soon followed by the revolver, telegraph, bicycles, anesthesia, and dynamite. In addition to political and technological advances, a religious and spiritual revolution was also gaining momentum. Emily Dickinson was not writing in a vacuum: she was both a product of her culture and an active participant through discussions, letters, and poetry. In fact, three of her poems appeared in Drum Beat, a Brooklyn newspaper that raised funds for the Union effort. Contrary to the myth of the secluded poet who locked herself away from the rest of the world, Dickinson was aware of local and national events and used political and cultural tropes in her poetry. As the country struggled to define itself and the rights of its citizens, she struggled to establish her identity as a woman and writer. Emily Dickinson acted out historical and cultural movements in a personal way.

Religious culture: Puritanism, the Great Awakenings, and revivals

After learning that her brother Austin had enjoyed a somewhat scandalous meeting with Susan Huntington Gilbert in a Boston hotel, Emily Dickinson jokingly wrote, “Am glad our Pilgrim Fathers got safely out of the way, before such shocking times!” (L 235, no. 110).