EARLY AMERICAN
— 1800
Early American Writers (1200 B.C. - 1600)
Native Americans – early writings document their culture and later their clash with
western civilization
Explorers – writings document their adventures in the New World
Christopher Columbus (1451-1505) Italian explorer who, financed by Queen
Isabella of Spain, sought a trade route to the West Indies. His ships, the Nina, the
Pinta, and the Santa Maria, landed in San Salvador in 1492.
Cabeza de Vaca (1490-1557) Landed in Florida in 1528 but became lost and
wound up exploring the Gulf of Mexico and Texas for eight years.
Puritan Age (1600 - 1700)
Religious movement that sought to “purify” the Church of England. They wanted to
remove all traces of the “high church” ceremony and make the service more personal and
accessible to the common man.
Basic Puritan Beliefs
 An omnipotent God
 Saw life as a pilgrimage to salvation
 Most are damned through original sin but could be saved through
divine grace
 Our behavior is a reflection of our soul
 God-centered society (theocracy)
 Interpreted the Bible literally and saw it as a guide to life
Encouraged education – Harvard 1636
Wrote in the plain style – simple language with religious references,
nonfiction
The Puritans sailed on Mayflower to Plymouth Rock in 1620
William Bradford
Southern Colonies
Settled Jamestown in 1607
Came to the New World for economic reasons
Modeled the European lifestyle
Established large plantations
Wrote in the ornate style: descriptive, lavish language; interested in fiction,
drama, poetry
Revolutionary Period/Age of Reason (1750 - 1800)
Influenced by a European movement called the Enlightenment
Rationalist Beliefs
 Arrive at truth through reason
 Free thought
 Power of the mind
 Order
 Deism
God created the universe but doesn’t interfere
Universe has rules which can be discovered through reason
People are basically good
God’s goal for us is happiness and we can best worship him
through compassion for our fellow man
History shows progress toward perfection
Examples of rationalist American writers: Thomas Jefferson, Ben Franklin
Broadsides: sheets of paper covered with anonymous poems, songs, and essays
The Great Awakening (1739-1742): a wave of religious enthusiasm that swept through New
England
Jonathan Edwards
Conflict between Puritans and Rationalists
Cotton Mather (1663-1728) Puritan minister who played a role in the Salem
Witch Trials because of his belief in witches and warnings about
spectral evidence
Studied medicine and theology at Harvard
Believed in inoculation against smallpox.
EARLY AMERICAN
— 1800
Early American Writers (1200 B.C. - 1600)
Native Americans – early writings document their culture and later their clash with
western civilization
Explorers – writings document their adventures in the New World
Cabeza de Vaca (1490-1557) Landed in Florida in 1528 but became lost and
wound up exploring the Gulf of Mexico and Texas for eight years.
Puritan Age (1600 - 1700)
Religious movement that sought to “purify” the Church of England. They wanted to
remove all traces of the “high church” ceremony and make the service more personal and
accessible to the common man.
Basic Puritan Beliefs
 An omnipotent God
 Saw life as a pilgrimage to salvation
 Most are damned through original sin but could be saved through
divine grace
 Our behavior is a reflection of our soul
 God-centered society (theocracy)
 Interpreted the Bible literally and saw it as a guide to life
Encouraged education – Harvard 1636
Wrote in the plain style – simple language with religious references,
nonfiction
The Puritans sailed on Mayflower to Plymouth Rock in 1620
William Bradford was the leader of Plymouth.
Southern Colonies
Settled Jamestown in 1607
Came to the New World for economic reasons
Modeled the European lifestyle
Established large plantations
Wrote in the ornate style: descriptive, lavish language; interested in fiction,
drama, poetry
Revolutionary Period/Age of Reason (1750 - 1800)
Influenced by a European movement called the Enlightenment
Rationalist Beliefs
 Arrive at truth through reason
 Free thought
 Power of the mind
 Order
 Deism
Deist beliefs





God created the universe but doesn’t interfere
Universe has rules which can be discovered through reason
People are basically good
God’s goal for us is happiness and we can best worship him through
compassion for our fellow man
History shows progress toward perfection
Examples of rationalist American writers: Thomas Jefferson, Ben Franklin
Broadsides: sheets of paper covered with anonymous poems, songs, and essays
The Great Awakening (1739-1742) was a wave of religious enthusiasm that swept through
New England. Jonathan Edwards was the most famous minister involved in the Great
Awakening.