Beginnings to 1800Beginnings to 1800

Historical/Cultural EventsHistorical/Cultural Events

1492:Christophe1492:Christopher Columbus r Columbus lands on an lands on an island in the island in the Bahamas.Bahamas.

More Historical/Cultural EventsMore Historical/Cultural Events

1607: 1607: Settlement Settlement founded at founded at Jamestown, Jamestown, VirginiaVirginia

Still More…Still More…

1620: 1620: MayflowerMayflower Pilgrims land at Pilgrims land at PlymouthPlymouth

And More…And More… Twenty people executed Twenty people executed

in Salem witch trials in in Salem witch trials in 1692.1692.

American Revolution American Revolution begins in 1775.begins in 1775.

Declaration of Declaration of Independence signed Independence signed July 4, 1776.July 4, 1776.

American Revolutionary American Revolutionary War ends with the War ends with the British surrender at British surrender at Yorktown, Virginia in Yorktown, Virginia in 1781.1781.

Almost Finished…Almost Finished…

George Washington George Washington inaugurated as first inaugurated as first president in 1789.president in 1789.

Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C. becomes capital of becomes capital of US in 1800.US in 1800.

Literary EventsLiterary Events

Between 1630 and 1682, Between 1630 and 1682, many true narratives many true narratives and poems by Puritans and poems by Puritans and pilgrims are and pilgrims are published.published.

Between 1728 and 1785 Between 1728 and 1785 the literature takes on the literature takes on the plight of the Native the plight of the Native Americans, the human Americans, the human condition, and the condition, and the British government.British government.

SettlersSettlers People first migrated to North America from People first migrated to North America from

twenty to over forty thousand years ago. When twenty to over forty thousand years ago. When the first Europeans arrived in the fifteenth the first Europeans arrived in the fifteenth century, American Indians were living in diverse century, American Indians were living in diverse societies spread across the continent.societies spread across the continent.

The Europeans arrive first: Columbus, Coronado, The Europeans arrive first: Columbus, Coronado, and many authors. All emphasize the Americas’ and many authors. All emphasize the Americas’ abundant resources, hospitable inhabitants, and abundant resources, hospitable inhabitants, and the promise of wealth from fantastic treasuries the promise of wealth from fantastic treasuries of gold. These enthusiastic accounts led to of gold. These enthusiastic accounts led to increased expeditions to what Renaissance increased expeditions to what Renaissance Europeans saw as the Europeans saw as the New WorldNew World..

The PuritansThe Puritans

While the explorers’ accounts were While the explorers’ accounts were exciting, they were not central to the exciting, they were not central to the development of the American literary development of the American literary tradition the way the Puritans were.tradition the way the Puritans were.

In many respects, the American In many respects, the American character has been shaped by the character has been shaped by the moral, ethical, and religious convictions moral, ethical, and religious convictions of the Puritans.of the Puritans.

Who Were They?Who Were They?

The Puritans were single-minded The Puritans were single-minded visionaries convinced of the rightness of visionaries convinced of the rightness of their beliefs, but they were also practical their beliefs, but they were also practical and businesslike.and businesslike.

They felt that Christian worship and church They felt that Christian worship and church organization shuld be simplified in order to organization shuld be simplified in order to more closely resemble Biblical models. more closely resemble Biblical models.

Many Puritans were persecuted for their Many Puritans were persecuted for their beliefs and fled England for Holland and beliefs and fled England for Holland and ultimately, for North America.ultimately, for North America.

What Were Their Beliefs?What Were Their Beliefs?

Puritans believed that Adam and Eve’s Puritans believed that Adam and Eve’s sin had damned most people for all sin had damned most people for all eternity. They also believed that Jesus eternity. They also believed that Jesus Christ had been sent to earth to save Christ had been sent to earth to save particular people, known as the “elect”. particular people, known as the “elect”. It was difficult to know for certain if one It was difficult to know for certain if one was saved or damned, so the Puritans was saved or damned, so the Puritans tried to behave in as exemplary a tried to behave in as exemplary a manner as possible.manner as possible.

The Effects of Their BeliefsThe Effects of Their Beliefs

Puritan belief in a spiritual compact Puritan belief in a spiritual compact between God and humanity paved the between God and humanity paved the way for American constitutional way for American constitutional democracy.democracy.

The Puritans emphasized education so The Puritans emphasized education so that people could read and understand that people could read and understand the Bible and follow religious debates. the Bible and follow religious debates. Diaries and histories were important Diaries and histories were important forms of Puritan literature.forms of Puritan literature.

The Age of ReasonThe Age of Reason

By the end of the 17By the end of the 17thth century, new ideas that century, new ideas that had been growing in Europe began to present a had been growing in Europe began to present a challenge to the unshakable faith of the challenge to the unshakable faith of the Puritans.Puritans.

The Age of Reason, or Enlightenment, began in The Age of Reason, or Enlightenment, began in Europe with the philosophers and scientists of Europe with the philosophers and scientists of the 17the 17thth and 18 and 18thth centuries who called centuries who called themselves rationalists.themselves rationalists.

RationalismRationalism is the belief that human beings is the belief that human beings can arrive at truth by using reason, rather than can arrive at truth by using reason, rather than by relying on the authority of the past, on by relying on the authority of the past, on religious faith, or on intuition.religious faith, or on intuition.

RationalismRationalism The Puritans saw God as The Puritans saw God as

actively and mysteriously actively and mysteriously involved in the workings involved in the workings of the universe.of the universe.

The rationalist, such as Sir The rationalist, such as Sir Isaac Newton, saw God Isaac Newton, saw God differently. Newton differently. Newton compared God to a compared God to a clockmaker who, having clockmaker who, having created the perfect created the perfect mechanism of the mechanism of the universe, then left the universe, then left the creation to run on its own creation to run on its own like a clock.like a clock.

Tinkerers and ExperimentersTinkerers and Experimenters Rationalists believed God’s special gift to humanity was reason – Rationalists believed God’s special gift to humanity was reason –

the ability to think in an ordered, logical manner. This enabled the ability to think in an ordered, logical manner. This enabled people to discover both scientific and spiritual truth. Everyone, people to discover both scientific and spiritual truth. Everyone, then, had the capacity to regulate and improve his or her life.then, had the capacity to regulate and improve his or her life.

The theoretical background for the Age of Reason took place in The theoretical background for the Age of Reason took place in Europe, but a home-grown practicality and interest in scientific Europe, but a home-grown practicality and interest in scientific tinkering and experimenting already thrived in the American tinkering and experimenting already thrived in the American Colonies.Colonies.

For example, when smallpox struck Boston in 1721, Cotton For example, when smallpox struck Boston in 1721, Cotton mather, a Puritan minister who had a strong interest in medicine, mather, a Puritan minister who had a strong interest in medicine, introduced the idea of inoculation to prevent smallpox from introduced the idea of inoculation to prevent smallpox from becoming an unstoppable epidemic.becoming an unstoppable epidemic.

Many people disagreed with his actions and were not inoculated, Many people disagreed with his actions and were not inoculated, but scientific proof demonstrated his new idea, taken from a but scientific proof demonstrated his new idea, taken from a Turkish physician, truly worked.Turkish physician, truly worked.

DeismDeism

Rationalists, unlike Puritans, believed Rationalists, unlike Puritans, believed that God made it possible for ALL people that God made it possible for ALL people at ALL times to discover natural laws at ALL times to discover natural laws through their God-given power of through their God-given power of reason.reason.

This outlook, called This outlook, called DeismDeism, was shared , was shared by many 18by many 18thth century thinkers. century thinkers.

They believed the universe was orderly They believed the universe was orderly and good. Unlike the Puritans, deists and good. Unlike the Puritans, deists stressed humanity’s goodness.stressed humanity’s goodness.

Self-Made AmericansSelf-Made Americans Most of the literature written Most of the literature written

in the American Colonies in the American Colonies during the Age of Reason was during the Age of Reason was rooted in reality and in rooted in reality and in pamphlet form. pamphlet form.

The masterpiece of the The masterpiece of the revolutionary era is Benjamin revolutionary era is Benjamin Franklin’s Franklin’s AutobiographyAutobiography. .

Franklin took the Puritan Franklin took the Puritan impulse toward self-impulse toward self-examination and molded it examination and molded it into the classic American into the classic American rags-to-riches story – the rags-to-riches story – the triumph of the self-made triumph of the self-made person.person.

The EndThe End

All information in this PowerPoint can be All information in this PowerPoint can be found in the found in the Elements of LiteratureElements of Literature textbook between pages 4 and 18.textbook between pages 4 and 18.

All images used were taken from Google All images used were taken from Google images.images.