Unit 1
A Gathering of Voices
Literature of Early America
Beginnings to 1800
Snapshot of the Period
• In 1492 (Columbus) America was populated by
several hundred Native American tribes
– Used Bering Land Bridge from Asia
– Spoke several different languages
– Referred to as “Indians” by Europeans
• By 1699 European colonies were spread along
east coast and some as far west as New
Mexico.
• In 1776, 13 colonies declared independence
Peoples of North America
• The map on page 3 shows Native American
tribe locations and influx of settlers
– Spanish – Florida, California, Texas
– French – Maine and Gulf of Mexico
– Dutch – New York and Delaware
– English – Virginia, New England, Pennsylvania
Historical Beginnings
• First Americans – unknown arrival (possibly
12000+ years ago.
– Rich cultural presence
• Oral literature – myths, legends, songs
– First settlers learned agriculture and woodworking
from natives
• Corn, squash, canoes
– First settlers probably wouldn’t have survived
without help of natives
Pilgrims, Puritans, and Planters
• 1620 – Mayflower lands in Plymouth, Massachusetts
– Reformers who tried to purify Church of England
– Initially referred to as Puritans, but were called Pilgrims in
the New World
• 1720 – Puritanism had declined, but Great Awakening
brings new converts (only hard work and self-reliance
though)
• Southern Colonies – different crops, climate, and
religion
– Plantations
– 1619 – slaves first brought to Virginia
Creating a Nation
• Europeans wanted to create a “city upon a hill” –
an ideal community founded on moral and
religious values
– What would they think of modern times?
• Colonists were assisted by the Native Americans
and created small farms and plantations
• The Enlightenment shocked Puritan beliefs – idea
that people are basically good and can use reason
to create a better society
New World Natural Environment
• Place of Wonder
– Long shores and sandy beaches with vast forests
– Mountain ranges and fertile valleys
– Lots of plants, fish, birds, and animals
• At one with the place
– Native Americans believed people belonged to the
land
– Lands, waters, and animals were a part of the
community
Colonists’ attitudes
• Dream vs. Reality
– Dream was to create a theocracy (community
governed by religious principles)
– Reality was starving, cold, disease, and animals
• Independent place and people
– 18th C. Europeans had firm foothold in America
– Built towns, roads, and churches
– Worried less about survival and more about selfgovernment
American Literature
• Native American – myths and legends
– People communicate with land, animals, and
nature
– People and nature are in harmony
• Nature – in particular forests and wild places
– Played a large role in both physical and symbolic
• Place and Nation – living here turned
Europeans into Americans
American literature
• Theme – central idea, message, or insight that
a literary word reveals
– Wilderness – insights into the nature and meaning
of the wilderness
– Community – central message that America was a
unique combination of community and
independence
– Individualism – self-reliance and individualism are
fundamental American values
Roles of American writers
• Oral poet and historian – Native American –
vital role in society (related history and
honored heroes)
• Preacher and lawmaker – wanted to articulate
the will of God (made audiences tremble with
fear)
• Autobiographer – wanted to make reader
question what should be learned and why
something happened
Part 3 • Types of speeches
– Political – focuses on an issue relating to
government or politics
– Address – formal speech that is prepared for a
special occasion
– Sermon – speech usually based on a scriptural text
and is intended to provide religious instruction
Persuasive techniques
• Persuasion – speech or writing that tries to get
the audience to think or act in a certain way
• Persuasive techniques
– Logical appeal – builds a well-reasoned argument
based on evidence, such as facts, statistics, or expert
testimony
– Emotional appeal – attempts to arouse the audience’s
feelings, often by using loaded words that convey
strong connotations
– Ethical appeal – directed at the audience’s sense of
morality or values
Rhetorical devices
• Rhetorical devices – patterns of words and ideas
that create emphasis and stir the audience’s
emotions
– Repetition – restating an idea using the same words
– Restatement – expressing the same idea using
different words
– Parallelism – repeating a grammatical structure
– Antithesis – using strongly contrasting words, images,
or ideas
– Rhetorical questions – asking questions for effect, not
to get answers