The Fireside Poets were a group of 19th century American poets who were the first to achieve popularity in both America and Britain. They included Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, William Cullen Bryant, James Russell Lowell, Oliver Wendell Holmes Sr., and John Greenleaf Whittier. Their works were suitable for recitation and became a source of family entertainment when gathered around the fire, leading to the nickname "Fireside Poets." Through their poetry on topics like abolitionism, they brought important issues to mainstream audiences.