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Early American Writing1600-1800

+4 Questions of the Times

Who owns the land?

What makes an explorer?

Are people basically good?

Who has the right to rule?

+"Extraordinary experiences of ordinary people"

1stcolony = Jamestown 1607

By 1733, colonies all along Atlantic

Settlers- Bradford and Wood complained about land being “desolate wilderness”

FR & Indian War 1759-1763-> U.S. sent soldiers to help Britain v. France and Native Americans

Taxes create division Ben Franklin, T. Jefferson, = Declaration, Constitution

+Cultural Influences

Religion- focus of everything here

Puritans sought to purify Church of England

John Winthrop- “City on a Hill”- new order in America

Valued hard work and responsibility = morally good

Bad side = inflexible & intolerant (Witch trials)

+Ideas of the Age

The Enlightenment

1700s = burst of intellectual energy in Europe

Questioning of everything

Pointed to gov’t for the people, by the people.

Patrick Henry = “give me liberty or give me death!”

+The Great Awakening

1700’s- Worry about Puritan values being lost- religious revival

Jonathan Edwards (preacher) – ppl. need to recommit, new wave of enthusiasm Called “First Great Awakening” United colonists

2 = opposites (Enlight & Awak), but same result = QUESTION AUTHORITY

+Puritan Writing

Writing should be useful

Logic, clarity needed

Glorify God=Purpose

Sermons- preaching of potential damnation

Poetry- Glorify God and speak of family, marriage

+Puritan Tradition

Writing = useful to them

Helps to understand Bible

Logic, clarity, reason = valued. Sermons & other writings Cotton Mather – witch trials Jonathan Edwards (both PUR) – sermons “Fire & Brimstone”

Puritan poetry Anne Bradstreet Edward Taylor Deep faith, love of husband/kids, male-dominated

+Exploration & Early Settlers 1stperson accounts of travel

Explorers – Christopher Columbus, vivid record

50 yrs later = Alvar Nunez Cabeza de Vaca, survivor of expedition.

FR & Dutch = Samuel de Champlain

Early settlers: letters, reports to friends/fam back home

Colonial histories = less focus on descriptive, more on growth of colonies Capt. John Smith – VA & N. Eng William Bradford, John Winthrop Sr. Olaudah Equiano – captured f/African home (diff. viewpoint)

+Early American Lit – N. Amer Experience

More than 300 diff. N.Am cultures w/diff customs, 200 lang’s

No written language

Oral traditions: stories

Style: creation stories – how everything came to be, migration history, fairy tales, lyrics, chants, songs, etc.

Many lost 90% of ppl

+Writers of the Revolution

Pamphlets & Propaganda

1763-1783: 2,000 published

Cause vs. Britain

Common Sense by Thomas Paine

T. Jefferson, pamphlets but his #1 = DEC of IND., natural law – ppl born w/rights & freedom

B. Franklin, Alexander Hamilton, G. Washington

Developed Constitution

People: also non-politicians

Former slave – Phillis Wheatley – poems/letters

Abigail Adams (wife of John) – include rights of women