Lecture Notes- Early American Literature
The Beginning of American Culture
NATIVE AMERICANS BEFORE EUROPEAN IMMIGRATION
Before the immigration of Europeans, America was populated by many Native American tribes.
They existed thousands (1000s) of years ago.
Each one had its own language and culture, and in early history they did not have a written
language but communicated their songs and poems through chanting, usually with instruments
and dancing.
Common values for many Native American tribes
 polytheistic
 nature is sacred and is honored for how it sustains the people
 art is in practical objects that honor nature and the gods: clothing, food and storage
containers, songs and dances
 in some places drawings on rocks called petroglyphs show activities from life or symbols
of important values
 values were shown in the art
PURITANS- 1620-1720
Puritans arrive in America
 1620- Mayflower, Plymouth MA about 100 people
 1630- Massachusetts Bay Colony
Puritanism- a form of Christianity that was not accepted in Catholic England. Lasted 100 years in
America
Life is hard and many die, but they establish a culture in America with help from the American
Indians.
Their religion believes in:
 Graceo an experience where you are forgiven of the sins of envy, vanity & lust.
o You love God with all of your heart.
o You can’t make grace happen through your own work. It is a miracle from God
and only some people are chosen.
 Plainness
o simple worship in simple churches without stained glass windows or statues
o plain clothing without decorations
 Divine Mission
o God has given America to the Puritans to be an example to the world
Puritan literature- writing was important
 Spiritual biography- a diary where you keep track of your daily and religious life and
search for signs of grace
 Poetry- about religion and about daily life
 Very little Visual Art- painting is considered decoration and paintings of people are
vanity, but the art that is done during this time period is posed and realistic in style
Puritans bring the traditions of
 hard work
 belief in marrying for love
 determination to overcome difficulties
 importance of God & religion
 education and study for improvement of self
 moderation
These cultural traditions continue in America
AGE OF REASON- 1700-1800
Americans have established cities and life is not as hard as it was for the Puritans.
Most European-Americans are Christian Protestants who consider that they are in an
Age of Reason
Like Puritans
 belief in education and study for self-improvement
 moderation
 writing is important
Age of Reason beliefs:
 through reason (logical thinking) humans can become better people create good societies
 don’t need old traditions and rules
 interested in life on earth, not in heaven
 humans can end ignorance, superstition, and evil
 humans need FREEDOM to make progress and create a better society
o freedom of speech
o freedom from monarchy (kings & queens)
o freedom to question and experiment
Age of Reason Literature
 Focus on non-fiction
o science
o ethics
o government
This spirit supported the American Revolutionary War (1775-1783)
Art in this time was
 paintings of people and historic events
 realistic style
ROMANTICISM 1800-1860
Industrial Revolution- 1790-1850
 machines are invented to make work easier and faster on farm
 production of goods moves to cities where machines make them
 many Americans move to crowded cities for work
 1803- Louisiana Purchase- America grows to the west.
Some people react against the logic of The Age of Reason to create philosophy of Romanticism.
Romanticism
 Individual is more important than the group
 Past- interest in past events, mythology and folk tales
 Nature
o beautiful and mysterious and always changing
o connected to humans
o We should study nature to learn about ourselves.
o “Religion of Nature”
 God is in nature
 in nature we learn about imagination and morals, similar to Native American
religions
 Intuition- understanding something from feeling, not from facts
o interested in intuition, not logic
o best knowledge comes from within, not from studying
o human imagination can solve problems
Romanticism in literature
 Emotional
 Focus on individuals & internal thought
 Focus on nature
 Imagination, not all stories are realistic
Romanticism in music
 Uses folk music
 Strongly emotional
 Beethoven & Mozart (in Europe)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YAOTCtW9v0M&feature=related Beethoven’s 9th
Symphony
Romanticism in visual art
 Bright colors
 Big brush strokes
 Focus on nature
 Romantic paintings of Native Americans
Examples
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:JWW_TheLadyOfShallot_1888.jpg John William Waterhouse
(English)- painting based on a poem by Alfred Lord Tennyson
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Cole_Thomas_Il_Penseroso_1845.jpg Thomas Cole
(American)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Frederic_Edwin_Church_Aurora_Borealis.jpg Frederick
Church (American)
Transcendentalism- The view that basic truth about comes from intuition.
Ralph Waldo Emerson was one its greatest believers, along with
 We know about our souls from intuition
 “Over Soul”- God is in humans, creature and nature & we all share this Over Soul.
 Nature, animals & humans are all inherently good.
 Understanding nature can help us to understand ourselves.
 Humans must listen to their intuition because it is our where the best ideas come from.
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1766 Artist-
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1785- Artist- John Trumbull
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Artist- John Trumbull, his imagined look at the signing of the Declaration of Independence