Question

three characteristics that differentiate american romanticism writing from american colonialist writing?

Answer 1

Characteristics of American Romanticism literature: emotion, value of nature and solitude, individualism, imagination, supernatural/gothic elements, revolutionary tendencies, and subjectivity
Colonial literature: religion and theology, historical or informational elements, focusing on human nature, sociology, and politics

With Romantic literature, America began to develop its own unique brand of literature, separate from the British-influenced writings of the colonial period. Here are some of the differences:

Romantic authors tended to write more fiction, whereas colonist writers wrote to influence ideas or provide information.
Romantics wrote predominantly short stories, poetry, or novels. Colonists utilized many forms of narrative, including pamphlets (e.g. Thomas Paine), sermons (e.g. Jonathan Edwards), journals (e.g. William Bradford), and religious poetry.
Most notably (from my perspective), the Romantics believed in individuality. They were more inclined to eschew organized religion in favor of personal spirituality. The Romantics believed in the power of the self, nature, and the individual. Colonial authors were almost always religious, often Puritanical Christians. Preachers and theologians (like Mather and Edwards) were some of the most popular narrators and authors.

WSU has some good resources you can cite:
http://public.wsu.edu/~campbelld/amlit/litfram.html