The Impact of Edgar Allan Poe on American Culture “Men have called me mad; but the question is not yet settled, whether madness is or is not the loftiest intelligence,” (Poe). Edgar Allan Poe is known for his dark writings as he introduced the world to his gothic literature. However, many questioned his works as its darkness disagreed with the state of American prosperity during his time. According to “Historical Context: “The Tell-Tale Heart,” during the mid-nineteenth century American society was expanding westward and through the Pacific, as the article states, “Poe’s America was a vibrant and self-assured young nation with a firm belief in its manifest destiny.” The economic and geographical growth of the United States had citizens in strong mentalities of hope and pride, which explains how Poe’s dark sided writings did not appeal to many groups of people, (Historical Context: “The Tell-Tale Heart,” 2003). In addition, scientific progress and the idea of rationalism was expanding the industry and agricultural growth of the nation. As the same article states, “Such nineteenth-century creations as steamships expanded commerce, while steel plows and the McCormick reapers increased agricultural production,” (Historical Context: “The Tell-Tale Heart,” 2003). These inventions led to a rise in American status and grew a sense of nationalism amongst the country, yet Poe still found a way to display dreary sides of humanity in his writings. Edgar Allan Poe was one of