The Colonial Period1607-1776

"For we must consider that we shall be as a city upon a hill. The eyes of

all people are upon us."

Goals—to be able to

• Discuss the characteristics of Native American literature

• Discuss the poetic devices used in Colonial Period poetry, especially allusions, rhetorical questions, and inverted syntax, and how those devices affect our understanding of the poems

• Identify the characteristics of a work written during the Colonial Period

Goals—to be able to

• Discuss why certain colonies failed and why others were successful

• Discuss what a primary document is and what the significance of primary documents are

• Discuss theme as it pertains to the works in this unit

1. Jamestown, Virginia (1607)

• settlers were financed by a group of London investors

• wanted to increase their economic opportunities by developing settlements in the New World

• settlers emigrated for purely economic reasons • 3 ships carrying 143 men and boys left England in

Dec. 1606 in search of gold and a route to the Indies• Jamestown turned out to be a swampy peninsula

infested with malaria-carrying mosquitoes

Jamestown (1607)

• only 38 of the original colonists survived the first winter due to sickness and the plague

• Capt. John Smith assumed authority and instituted a “no work - no eat” policy

• between 1608-09, about 500 new settlers joined the colony, but only 60 of them survived the winter of 1609

• the colonists eventually decided to return to England – only the timely arrival of a ship carrying supplies and more settlers caused them to stay

Why Did Jamestown Fail?

• instead of building shelters, the settlers looked for gold and a nonexistent passage to Asia

• most passengers were “gentlemen” who were not fit for life in the wilderness

• colonists thought Indians would be cheap labor; instead, Indians fought against the Europeans, killing many

Jamestown = The Explorers

• Writing Characteristics:1. Wrote journals, letters, and historical

narratives2. Described trips, everyday life, and

relationships3. Portray the “Noble Savage”

Plymouth Plantation (1620)

• The pilgrims, a group that opposed the rites of the church of England (called Separatists), decided to establish a colony in the New World

• they sought religious freedom rather than profit

• they had no money and were forced to borrow to pay their fares for the voyage

Plymouth Plantation (1620)

• the Mayflower arrived at Plymouth in Nov. 1620

• they chose a better location than their predecessors in Jamestown: good water and land that had already been cleared by the Native Americans

• Still, half of the 102 who landed did not live through the winter

Ply. Plant = Separatist Writing

Characteristics:1. Wrote historical narratives and sermons2. Very serious with religious undertones

Massachusetts Bay Colony (1630)

• more successful than other 2 groups• the Puritans arrived with around 1000

settlers in present-day Boston• unlike the pilgrims, the Puritans were a group

of prosperous landowners, ministers, and merchants

Massachusetts Bay Colony (1630)

• they came in 17 ships carrying food, clothing, and livestock

• like the pilgrims, they sought religious freedom but also sought to create the perfect society (utopia)

• they did not withdraw from the church of England, instead they wanted to reform (purify) it from within

Puritans

• They interpreted the Bible literally, and they faced hardships with faith that hardships were the result of God’s will

• They were highly literate and had a strong belief in education for both men and women

• In 1636 founded Harvard University to ensure a well-educated ministry

• Free public schools were set up in Mass. to combat the influence of Satan

3 Doctrines (Beliefs) of Puritanism

• the Bible is the source of God’s law– led them to simplify religion, removing all

worldly trappings• the belief in original sin – the inherent evil of all human beings – a need for continuous hard work and discipline in

order to keep sin out of one’s life• belief in predestination– God knew at the beginning of the world who

would be saved and who would be damned

Four Qualities of Puritan Belief

• Sobriety– Seriousness

• Industriousness– Working energetically

• Temperance– Self-control

• Simplicity– Absence of luxury or ornament

Characteristics of Puritan Writing

1. The Bible was the model for writing2. Used writing to explore their inner and outer

lives for signs from God3. Diaries and histories were the most common

forms4. Favored a plain style of writing

Colonial Writings

• Literature was practical or devotional– no fiction or drama

allowed since both were viewed as sinful

– Diaries– Journals – Histories

• Plain style– strong, simple,

logical language that made explanations of scriptures easy for everyone

– to use fancy language would be a sign of vanity, which did not follow God’s will

Terms to Know

• Allusion• Analogy• Anecdote• Argument• Aphorism• Autobiography• Captivity Narrative• Characteristics of

Puritan Writing

• Conceit• Connotations• Covenant• Deism• Diction• Extended Metaphor• Imagery• Indigenous• Inoculation

Terms to Know

• Inversions• King Phillips War• Myth• New England• Oral Tradition• Parallelism• Persuasion• Pilgrim• Plain Style

• Puritan• Separatist • Rationalism• Rhythm• Rhetorical Question• Satire• Simile• Small Pox• Style

Essential Questions

• What commonalities existed among the first works of American literature?

• How does this literature reflect the notion that America is “endlessly varied, multicolored and multiracial, grabbing, [and] anxious to do the right thing”?

• How do these works reflect the concept of the “American Dream”?