AMERICAN LITERATUREAMERICAN LITERATUREBeginnings Beginnings

Exploration, Colonization, Exploration, Colonization, Revolution, ExpansionRevolution, Expansion

1400 - 18001400 - 1800

BeginningsBeginnings

America is a land America is a land of immigrantsof immigrants

Millions came to Millions came to America against America against their will as slavestheir will as slaves

Many of us may be Many of us may be descendants of descendants of recent immigrantsrecent immigrants

Why do people Why do people immigrate? immigrate?

BeginningsBeginnings

Bering Land Bridge Bering Land Bridge brought brought inhabitants 20-40 inhabitants 20-40 thousand years thousand years agoago

Over the years Over the years there was a there was a southward southward migrationmigration

BeginningsBeginnings

Numerous Native Numerous Native American cultures American cultures existed before existed before European explorationEuropean exploration

Native Americans had Native Americans had well developed, well developed, sophisticated culturessophisticated cultures

Native Americans Native Americans were exploited by were exploited by EuropeansEuropeans

BeginningsBeginnings

Early explorers Early explorers were often groping were often groping in the darkin the dark

Their journals and Their journals and accounts often accounts often emphasized the emphasized the positive in order to positive in order to receive support receive support and fundingand funding

The Jamestown The Jamestown settlement was settlement was established in 1607established in 1607

Captain John Captain John Smith, soldier of Smith, soldier of fortune, was an fortune, was an early leaderearly leader

Jamestown met Jamestown met with many with many hardshipshardships

BeginningsBeginnings

BeginningsBeginnings The American character has been shaped by the The American character has been shaped by the

moral, ethical, and religious convictions of the moral, ethical, and religious convictions of the PuritansPuritans

BeginningsBeginnings

The most famous The most famous group landed at group landed at Plymouth in 1620Plymouth in 1620

For Puritans, the For Puritans, the everyday world everyday world and the spiritual and the spiritual world were closely world were closely connectedconnected

BeginningsBeginnings

Puritans had their roots in EuropePuritans had their roots in Europe They wanted to “purify” the Church of EnglandThey wanted to “purify” the Church of England They wanted simple, direct forms of worshipThey wanted simple, direct forms of worship

BeginningsBeginnings

BeginningsBeginnings

They were single-They were single-mindedminded

They were They were convinced of their convinced of their rightness and their rightness and their beliefsbeliefs

They believed in a They believed in a strict and literal strict and literal interpretation of interpretation of the Biblethe Bible

Bradford

Edwards

BeginningsBeginnings

There was both There was both certaintycertainty and and doubtdoubt in in being a Puritanbeing a Puritan

Puritans were Puritans were certaincertain the the most most humanity was damned because of the humanity was damned because of the sins of Adam and Evesins of Adam and Eve

Puritans were also Puritans were also certaincertain that Jesus that Jesus had been sent to save had been sent to save particularparticular people people

There was much There was much doubtdoubt about about whowho these particular people werethese particular people were

BeginningsBeginnings

A Puritan could not know for certain A Puritan could not know for certain if he or she was one of the if he or she was one of the electelect – – one of the particular people chosen one of the particular people chosen by God to be savedby God to be saved

Indications that a Puritan Indications that a Puritan mightmight be be one of the elect came from one of the elect came from outward outward behaviorbehavior, and a , and a feelingfeeling of of being being savedsaved, or , or born againborn again

BeginningsBeginnings

To avoid sin, Puritans tried to lead To avoid sin, Puritans tried to lead industriousindustrious lives lives

They They workedworked long and hard long and hard They They prayedprayed to fill most of their to fill most of their

spare timespare time They They avoidedavoided any and all activities any and all activities

that could lead them to that could lead them to sinsin, and in , and in turn, to hellturn, to hell

BeginningsBeginnings

The Puritans favored The Puritans favored plain styleplain style in in their writing – elaborate style was their writing – elaborate style was considered sinfulconsidered sinful

Puritans believed strongly in Puritans believed strongly in educationeducation, so that one could read , so that one could read and understand God’s wordand understand God’s word

Puritans believed in a spiritual Puritans believed in a spiritual compact between the compact between the individualindividual and and GodGod

BeginningsBeginnings

As colonial life allowed As colonial life allowed more leisure and more leisure and temptations, Puritanism temptations, Puritanism became more and more became more and more hypocriticalhypocritical

Puritans had to Puritans had to pretendpretend to live sin-free, pure to live sin-free, pure liveslives

By the early 1700’s, By the early 1700’s, Puritanism had decayedPuritanism had decayed

BeginningsBeginnings

Eventually, Eventually, Puritans began to Puritans began to accuse their fellow accuse their fellow Puritans of being Puritans of being sinfulsinful

Suspicions, guilt, Suspicions, guilt, and mass hysteria and mass hysteria brought forth the brought forth the Salem Witch TrialsSalem Witch Trials

BeginningsBeginnings

In all, almost 150 people in Salem and In all, almost 150 people in Salem and the surrounding area were accused of the surrounding area were accused of witchcraft by their neighborswitchcraft by their neighbors

BeginningsBeginnings

Nineteen innocent people were hangedNineteen innocent people were hanged One townsman was crushed to deathOne townsman was crushed to death

BeginningsBeginnings

The European The European Age of ReasonAge of Reason stimulated thought in the American stimulated thought in the American coloniescolonies

RationalismRationalism was the philosophy that was the philosophy that was popularized by the Age of was popularized by the Age of ReasonReason

Rationalists believed that a human’s Rationalists believed that a human’s pursuit of truth through pursuit of truth through reasonreason was was more important than arriving at truth more important than arriving at truth through faiththrough faith

BeginningsBeginnings

Rationalism was a Rationalism was a direct contradiction direct contradiction of Puritanismof Puritanism

Rationalists saw Rationalists saw God as a God as a clockmakerclockmaker, rather , rather than as a supreme than as a supreme being was guided being was guided and controlled and controlled human lifehuman life

Newton

BeginningsBeginnings

The political theories of democracy The political theories of democracy grew from the rationalistic grew from the rationalistic movementmovement

The independent, innovative, self-The independent, innovative, self-reliant reliant AmericanAmerican grew from the grew from the rationalistic movementrationalistic movement

Deism was an outlook about God Deism was an outlook about God that grew from the rationalistic that grew from the rationalistic movementmovement

BeginningsBeginnings

Thomas Jefferson Thomas Jefferson and other colonial and other colonial politicians politicians subscribed to subscribed to rationalism and rationalism and deismdeism

Jefferson

BeginningsBeginnings

The Declaration of The Declaration of Independence Independence bases its bases its arguments and arguments and assumptions on assumptions on rationalist thought rationalist thought and led the and led the colonists to a war colonists to a war that logic would that logic would have told them not have told them not to fightto fight

BeginningsBeginnings

BeginningsBeginnings

Contrary to Puritanism, Deists Contrary to Puritanism, Deists believed that humans were believed that humans were inherentlyinherently good good

They believed in the They believed in the perfectibilityperfectibility of of every humanevery human

They believed that the best form of They believed that the best form of worship of God was in worship of God was in good deedsgood deeds to to other humansother humans

Beginnings - Beginnings - SummarySummary

Native Americans populated North Native Americans populated North America long before European America long before European explorersexplorers

European explorers discovered European explorers discovered largely through wandering largely through wandering

Jamestown (1607) settled for profitJamestown (1607) settled for profit Plymouth (1620) settled for religious Plymouth (1620) settled for religious

freedomfreedom

Beginnings - Beginnings - SummarySummary

Harsh life bred innovative, self-Harsh life bred innovative, self-reliant, independent peoplereliant, independent people

The southern colonies became The southern colonies became dependent on agriculture and soil-dependent on agriculture and soil-depleting cropsdepleting crops

The northern colonies became The northern colonies became dependent on industrydependent on industry

Beginnings - Beginnings - SummarySummary

Rationalism and deism were two Rationalism and deism were two ways of thinking well suited for the ways of thinking well suited for the American colonistsAmerican colonists

These two movements would These two movements would eventually lead into the American eventually lead into the American Revolution and democracyRevolution and democracy

Americans Americans became known for their became known for their independence and self-relianceindependence and self-reliance