History+of+the+Time+Period

Major Events that Happened in American History during Poe's Lifetime
American events made history during Edgar's lifetime. The War of 1812 began when Edgar was just 3 years old. In 1828 the first American railroad was being constructed. Florida became a state in 1845. Three years later, the California Gold Rush began. Not a whole lot of exciting stuff went on when Edgar was a live but some of the things that did happen were and still are an important part of the United States. Although Edgar was in the army, there was not a war going on. Everything was mostly peaceful while Edgar was alive, with the exception of the War of 1812.

Poe's Contemporaries (important people in Poe's lifetime)
Edgar wasn't the only famous and important person around from 1809 to 1839. Presidents like Thomas Jefferson, John Quincy Adams, and Andrew Jackson all made their mark. Karl Marx also was an important figure as well as, Napolean many years earlier. Many famous authors such as Mary Shelley, John Polidori, and Charles Dickens published famous books while Edgar was still living. Other important figures alive during Edgar's lifetime were Ludwig Van Beethoven, Mark Twain, and Thomas Edison. Chances are some of these people read Edgar's stories too!