AMERICAN LITERATURE FROM 1600-1865

Colonial Literature

Reading assignments: Always read the biographical information with each author because it will give you a preview of the type of person the writer is as well as some ideas of his individual themes, styles and subject matter.

“Exploration and the Colonies”: 1-5

Natives and Explorers: 9-10;

John Smith: 33-34; “From the General History of Virginia…” 34-39

William Bradford: ; “From Of Plymouth Plantation, Book II”  51-52 

John Winthrop: 58; 42-43; “From a Model of Christian Charity” 59-63

Puritanism: 67-69

Anne Bradstreet: 69-71; “The Flesh and the Spirit,” 73-74;  “The Author to Her Book” 76; "To My Dear and Loving Husband" 77

Mary Rowlandson: 80-81; from “a Narrative of the Captivity and Restoration of Mrs. Mary Rowlandson”, “The First Remove”-“The Eighth Remove” 81-89

Edward Taylor: 105-106; “Upon Wedlock and Death of Children,” 107-108; “Huswifery” 109;

Crosscurrents: Puritanism, Indians, and Witchcraft: 112-113; “The Petition of Mary Easty”: 115; “[A Witchcraft Judge’s Confession of Guilt]” 116

"The South and the Middle Colonies: 125-127  

Jean de Crevecouer: 144-145; “From Letters from an American Farmer” 145-147

Required Journals 

(Col 1)

Background (Before reading about American Colonial literature, consider the following facts about these early writers.)

• They were first and foremost navigators and explorers, not writers; thus much of their concerns will therefore be reflected in their literature
• They had a specific audience in mind: more often than not their investors. As a result, often in the most positive of tomes, the explorers depict a fascinating and potentially (but assuredly) profitable world. They always seemed to be writing to establish a pretext for their next mission.
• From the beginning what came to be known as the American dream is evident in these writers’ work. That is, America is held out as a potential location for financial and spiritual rejuvenation included domination of the Indians.
• Even at its most sympathetic, the literature of exploration, implicitly and explicitly, considers the Indians, not just different, but inferior.
• Their literature is a record of history in the making, a document of the events that befell these early explorers. (However, this is not to say that all their reports are accurate. History was not their prime objective in writing, nor was they interested in depicting Indian culture.)

The five major beliefs of Calvinism that helped shape the overall culture of Colonial America were as follows:

1. Faith is the key to perfection

2. Man is totally depraved

3. We don’t need change

4. Nature is wild and untamed

5. God is harsh and judgmental

To gain an understanding of the Colonial temper, read pages “Exploration and the Colonies,” pages 1-4, and answer the following questions:

1) What group of peoples constituted the first wave? 2) The Seventeenth-century settlers found much that was wholly new to them in the new world. What were they?

3) How were the first settlers greeted by the Native Americans?

4) The first permanent settlement established in America was ______in the year ___.

5) What other name were the Plymouth Pilgrims known by? Why were they given that name?

6) What was the difference between the Plymouth Pilgrims and the Massachusetts Bay Puritans who arrived ten years later?

7) What religious sector or nationality settled the following states?

• Virginia:

• Massachusetts:

• Maryland:

• New York:

• Florida:

• Canada:

:

• Rhode Island:

• Pennsylvania:

• The Carolinas:

• Georgia:

8) What were some of the reasons for establishing America?

9) The Europeans that came to America wrote about a diversity of topics. What were some of them? (The text as well as the history above)

10) What purpose does the early literature of Colonial America serve to readers today?

11) What did the Virginia settlements excel in?

12) What characteristics did the New England colonies establish?

One question you will be asked to explore and answer throughout the semester is: What can be classified as distinctly American

(themes/ideas/subject matter) about American literature?

(Col 2) How do John Smith’s writings reflect his personality and personal literary style?

(Col 3) Why did William Bradford feel it necessary to draft the The Mayflower Compact? What concepts of democracy do you see in it?

(Col 4) Compare John Winthrop’s model of “Christian Charity” to today’s concept of Christian charity.

(Col 5) Define Puritanism as discussed on pages 67-69.

(Col 6) What theme(s) are evident in Anne Bradstreet’s poetry?

(Col 7) Describe the faith that Mary Rowlandson demonstrates during her captivity by the Indians.

(Col 8) Discuss Edward Taylor’s use of intense emotionalism and/or metaphorical language in his poetry.

(Col 9) Crosscurrents: Puritanism, Indians, and Witchcraft:

Puritans believed

• that God favored and tested them
• that the devil existed as a tormentor
• that they must defeat the tormentor

Puritans were divided in their feelings about the Indians:

• some see them as souls to be saved
• as imp of Satan, who work against the godly

As time progressed, the natives began to be seen as enemies, thus wars erupted, killing many whites as well as Indians.

Just as many of the Puritans believed that the Indians were a test of their faith, thus they believed that witchcraft was also a test.

In a journal of one page or more, discuss the connection between the Indian powwows and witchcraft, according to the puritan point of view. In your writing, support your answers by pointing out the strength and spiritual integrity of one (Mary Easty) of the victims and the sorrow and repentance of another (Samuel Sewall).

(Col 10) UNDERSTANDING THE SOUTH AND THE MIDDLE COLONIES

1) During the seventeenth century, the South shifted from a yeoman society to what kind of society?

2) What was the purpose of England’s Navigation Acts?

3) What made the conditions of the South intolerable and in part lead to the Revolution?

4) In the eighteenth century, what system supported a tidewater aristocracy that produced families of great culture?

5) Why did the South add so little in the way of literary excellence during the eighteenth century?

6) Why did tolerance work so well from the southern colonies to New York?

7) What about the middle colonies made it such a success geographically?

8) Why were the middle colonies so natural for the central activities of the area?

9) Why were the Quakers known as the most homogenous of all the groups?

10) What is the Religious Society of Friends? Who was its leader? What did they teach?

11) Explain William Penn’s influence on Pennsylvania and the middle colonies.

12) Why were they able to produce such a volume of quality literature that still excites readers today?

(Col 11) Describe the American of Crevecoeur “American Farmer.”

ASSIGNMENT: PERSONAL HISTORICAL EVENT

SPECIFIC REQUIREMENTS: Write a personal history of a particular story/incident in your family that has been remembered and passed along from generation to generation and still remains popular today. You are encouraged to attach pictures, articles of evidence, testimonials, etc. that will help lend reality to your story.

SUGGESTED TOPICS:

• Are there stories about how a great fortune was lost or almost (but not quite) made? If so, do you believe these stories? Are there incidents that are laughed about or are they deeply regretted?
• Do you know your family surname’s origin and/or meaning? Has it undergone changes? Are there any traditional family first names? Nicknames?
• Do you have a notorious or infamous or famous character in your family’s past? Do you believe the stories are true? Accurate Exaggerated? Is there any documentation/ proof?
• Are there aspects of sentimental or monetary value that have been handed down? What heirloom(s) does your family possess? What are some of the stories connected with them?
• How does your family greet each other? When you or some other relative have/has been gone for a long period of time, what sort of welcome is received?
• What particular expressions are used in your family? Are there stories to explain their origin(s)? Have you personally contributed to any new ones? How will these be handed down to your children?
• What recipes have been preserved in your family from past generations? What was their origin? How were they passed down? Are they still used today?
• Is there a particular career or profession in your family that seems to have dominated more than others? Through how many generation? Did/does this profession require professional training? Is it a family business that is passed from one generation to the next?
• Are there dominant traits that stand out in your family? (Red hair, blue eyes, fair skin?) Does one family member stand apart as different in appearance and/or personality? Is everyone naturally funny? Serious? Etc.

The following essay was written several years ago as an assignment for another literature class at another college. However, I still use it because the young lady who wrote and presented it to her class is my daughter, and this history is thus directly related to me. SO, now you know a bit more about your instructor.

Guilty or Not Guilty

Without a doubt, the most remembered and most often recalled historical event in my family has been and is the incident involving the death of a revenue agent. Even though this event was lived out more than fifty years ago, the people involved in it and the resulting actions of those people have been brought to life countless numbers of times, not only in my family’s life, but also in many other citizens of Jumpertown, Booneville, and surrounding communities. This pet narrative has remained so popular throughout the years because everyone who knew any of the people involved in it personally feels that they hold some personal insight that no one else possesses.

The persons involved in the event to which I have referred are Ruey and Clovis Eaton, distant cousins of mine and Edgar Eaton, my great grandfather. The actual event, which involves the shooting death of a Federal Agent, took place around 10:00 p. m. on May 16, 1931. Federal agents, suspecting Ruey of “bootlegging,” had issued a warrant for his arrest, but had been unable to find him. That eventful May evening the agents spied Ruey as he daringly rode through the streets of Booneville with his brother and my great grandfather, and a lengthy car chase ensued. Safely outside the city, the Eatons abandoned the car and on foot began running through nearby woods. During their escape, one of the Federal agents was shot and killed. For the next few weeks, the three Eatons were pursued with all the enthusiasm of any modern day movie manhunt scene.

Personally, my favorite episode of this factual event is the time Ruey, Clovis and my great grandfather hid out from the law officials who were searching for them. It is always with laughter that my relatives recreate the scene in their minds of these men disguising themselves as women. This tale is usually accompanied by remarks of how “cute” the men looked in their dress bonnets and Sunday dresses. However, everyone unanimously agrees that the faces and figures of these three could belong to only very homely women. There even exists a few photographs of these fugitives dressed n their feminine attire, which helps bring reality to the stories to the stories for me.

But, now to move the events of the story along let me share with you that the men were never discovered; nevertheless, after a few weeks, they surrendered because the authorities were holding Ruey and Clovis’s father in custody until the fugitives were located. (My great grandfather’s father was not alive at the time.) After front-page news coverage in many local and surrounding newspapers, [and much misprinted information] the three men finally stood trial for the crime only one person could have committed. As the trial ended, the jury convicted Ruey and Clovis and acquitted my great grandfather.

Following the trial and convictions, Ruey and Clovis were taken to Parchment prison to serve out their sentences. To condense the remainder of the story, my relatives find it rather amusing that Ruey could not be contained at Parchment. Determined not to be imprisoned, only a month or so after his arrival there, he, along with several other prisoners, escaped and made his way back home, where, with the help of his family and friends, he was able to elude the authorities for quite some time. After some weeks, he became brave enough to put up a small still and “bootleg” his produce---and that is probably what caused his later re-apprehension by federal officials.

During his trial this time, Ruey was convicted for four charges involving “whiskey-making and selling,” and was sentenced to nineteen years in federal prisons. At first he was sent to a prison in Atlanta, GA, but because of his numerous attempts and escapes, he was finally sent to Alcatraz Island, from which no man has escaped. After serving several years there, some while Al Capone was there, he was finally pardoned by the governor of California, when evidence was found which proved his innocence in the shooting death of the federal agent.

To our family, community, and indeed to anyone who knew him, Ruey is known as the Mayor from Alcatraz, for many years after his release, he was elected as the first mayor of the incorporated city of Jumpertown. Upon his release, Ruey proved himself an outstanding citizen of his community, an honest businessman and a friend to its religious and educational establishments. By the way, my family, and almost anyone else who retells his story, not only believe, but emphatically state that Ruey did not, and indeed, could not have committed the murder of the revenue agent for which he was originally convicted and first imprisoned.

American Literature Authors

The Native Americans

• Their literature was passed down orally until missionaries helped establish an alphabet in the mid-eighteen hundreds
• They were for the most part friendly and helpful to the newcomers to America
• Their literature, like their culture is based very much upon folklore
• When the first settlers arrived in America, there were thousands of native tribes that were separated by language
• Much of their literature has been altered by recorders and translators

COLONIAL AUTHORS

John Smith (1580-1631)

• One of America’s first heroes
• A proud and boastful man, of whom it is difficult to know which parts of his life to be fact and/or fiction
• Author of the first book written in the New World
• Is responsible for the success of the first permanent settlement in America (Jamestown)
• Chartered the first maps that guided new settlers to Virginia
• Was a great propagandist
• His style is informal, adventurous, and personally elevating

William Bradford (1590-1657)

• Was considered one of the greatest Colonial Americans
• Was a well-read, self-educated man who was kind, selfless, modest and extraordinarily intelligent and dedicated
• Was the wise leader of the Separatist Group who fled England and sought refuge in Holland
• Was the leader of the Pilgrims who first landed at Cape Cod on Nov. 11, 1620
• Is responsible for writing the Mayflower Compact, the document that promoted democracy for all
• His style is functional, simple truth, told plainly from memory, with moments of loftiness
• A gifted leader, he served as governor for 33 years, the unquestionably most powerful Colonial governor

John Winthrop (1588-1649)

• Was the leader of the Puritans of Massachusetts Bay
• Changed the emphasis of the Massachusetts Bay Colony from trade to religious colonization
• Helped establish the religious, judicial and governmental system free of British control
• A selfless, moral leader, he was chosen governor 12 times
• His writing style, while considered plain, is precise and observant of large and small historic events

Anne Bradstreet (1612-1672)

• Is the first notable poet and the first notable female writer in the New World
• Was well read, chiefly in religious writings of the Puritan world
• Wrote primarily for personal satisfaction, as a way to contemplate her faith and her place in society
• Her brother-in-law (John Woolridge) secretly took her book of poems to England and published it
• Her writing style is lucid simplicity in a lyrical and effective way, while revealing some detail to technical skill
• Her themes include religious experience, domestic intimacy, and observations of nature; often meditative and demonstrative of her Puritan culture
• thorough details and observations of everyday events

PURITANISM

Mary Rowlandson (1636-1711?)

• Was one of the most celebrated victims of King Philip’s War which ranged from 1675-1676
• Was a descendant of early Salem settlers
• Had given birth to four children by the time of the attacks
• Was held captive for eleven weeks and five days
• Her literary emphasis is on God and His goodness
• Her theme is personal and her style is simplicity and honesty written clearly and thoughtfully, but which often includes literary allusions

Samuel Sewall (1652-1730)

• Is the first of the more secular-minded writers of the Puritans
• Is known as an American aristocrat, beginning his public service during his twenties
• Was appointed Justice of the Superior Court, and served on the special court that condemned the witches of Salem in 1692. However, 5 years later, he did confess his error in that action
• His style is moderately intelligent, often quaintly obtuse, but possesses a quick sense of responsibility
• Historically, Sewall’s diary is important because it records the secularization of the new peoples coming to the New World, and the daily lives of the second and third generations of settlers
• Wrote the first anti-slavery tract, The Selling of Joseph

Mary Easty (1634-1692)

· Accused of witchcraft during the Salem Witch Trials

· Petitioned the governor to stop the trial, to no avail

Edward Taylor (1642-1729)

• His poetry was not discovered until two centuries after his death when his grandson, Ezra Stiles, contributed it to the Yale College Library
• His poetry was preparations for sermons and his diction, syntax, Biblical images, arcane metaphors, and spiritual intensity may make his works difficult to analyze.
• In style, his poetry exhibits traits of the metaphysical poets of England. It revealed lofty theology, is vital and mystical; and his diction, syntax, Biblical images, arcane metaphors, and spiritual intensity make his works difficult to analyze.
• Uses extended metaphors extensively in his poems
• Is considered a genius of his time who uses meditative poems to pray, to contemplate God’s glory, to examine himself, to uncover his humanity’s sin, to assure himself of that he is one of the Elect, and to prepare and inspire himself for religious services

Cotton Mather (1663-1728)

• Has been mythologized into a “national gargoyle,” a symbol of everything America is not: “bigoted, superstitious, authoritarian, and devious.”
• His enthusiasm and hope for America seem often to be overlooked.
• .  His book The Wonders of the Invisible World, records some of the trial of Bridget Bishop for witchery
•    In style, he wrote ceaselessly in a heavy, scholarly, allusion-and-quotation-laden manner, a style that attributed to his lack of success in the literary realm.
• With his scientific mind, he helped to eradicate smallpox from America

THE SOUTH AND THE MIDDLE COLONIES

St. Jean De Crevecoeur (1735-1813)

• Is one of the first authors to struggle with a wide rang of issues that became a part of the American cultural dilemma
• American character
• The immigrant’s place in America
• Religious differences and freedom
• Racism
• The role of government, and America's escape from it
• The work ethic, independence, pragmatism and integrity
• Is the first writer to be published in the form of letters
• His letters are lyrical and emotional in their descriptions of the joys of farm life, but they turn somber and even horrifying as he describes the persecutions inflicted on everyone who tried to remain neutral in the fight for independence.
• Was a strong humanitarian, fighting for the rights of slaves, war, poverty, and