How has Washington Irving influence American Literature?

American Literature was actually greatly influenced by Irving, and many later American authors may not have existed without his effort. Irving is known as the "The Father of American Literature." He is in fact, the first belletrist of America. All other forms of writing in our country had been used to influence or inform the public in some way. No one had ever published any stories or novels for the mere pleasure of writing them. I make my claim that other American authors may not have existed on the belief that we are influenced by our environment. Had future potential authors of the past never read his works, American literature may have never existed. Irving started out as being a not so outstanding student and  became a lawyer. His true passion from the beginning was writing. Perhaps Edgar Allan Poe had been inspired by Irving's Gothic short stories.(http://www.answers.com/topic/washington-irving, http://www.csustan.edu/english/reuben/pal/chap3/irving.html)

A unique trait of Irving's writing is the American pull to it. His tales take place in an American environment, generally the Dutch settlements surrounding the Hudson, and they also present common American characters. This was unique in a world where there was generally some great conflict thrusting at the Herculean protagonist. Maybe Mark Twain's writings would have been especially different without the influence of Irving, just a thought. Huck Finn and Tom Sawyer may have never existed. I personally loved these books as a kid, but I guess you can't miss something that never existed.(http://www.uncp.edu/home/canada/work/markport/lit/amlit1/fall2002/08irving.htm)

I mean think about literature today. There are probably tens of thousands of Americans all writing stories based in some American environment and centered around an American character with a touch of an American theme. I'm not much of a reader, but if all I had to read growing up were preacher sermons and news, I wouldn't have bothered learning how to read. I know everyone enjoys stereotypes. Pictured below is what everyone in Alabama would look like had Irving not created an interesting use of writing for Americans.